HP 

8057 

Y6 
1920 


UC-NRLF 


B    3    lib    173 


SUMMARY 


OF    THE 


INDUSTRIAL  CONFKPxENCE 


ON 


"HUMAN   RELATIONS  IN  INDUSTRY 


THK  "OOOI)  \^il.l.  AM)  SQLARK  DEAL  CONFERENCK" 


INDKR  THE  AlSriCES  OK 

THE  INDUSTRIAL  DKPARTMKNT 

OF  THE 

YOUNG  MEN'S  CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATION 


S1L\  KR  BAY,   LAKE  GEORC;i:,   N.    V 


AUGUST   27-29,    1920 


INDEX 


PAGi: 


iiin'oductio  ........ 

Proprani  .......... 

The  InditL.uual  World  Situation.     Fred  B.  Smith  .    ■      .  .  i 

The  Coming  American  and  the  Resident  Alien.     Allen  T.  Burns   . 

^•'"Cussion : 

D;.  Peter  Roberts   ...  .  •  .     .     • 

R6P°r  W'    ,.  -Mir]  others        ...... 

Mutual  Reiau  v., is  ,-.,.. ,t„oi.iy.    L.  P.  Alford  ..... 
Discussion : 

E    H.  Betts 

F.  J.  KingGbi.ry  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   "       .  'i- 

R.  H.  Booth  and  others     .  .  .  .  .  .  .  2 

The  Engineer.     Sai*!  A.  Lewisohn     ......  2'. 

Experiences  with  a  Cooperative  Committee.     S.  H.  Libb}^  .  .  3 

Constructive  Adjustment  of  Industrial  Relations.     John  Leitch  3( 

Discussion        .  .  .  .  .  .  .  -  .  .  4(;: 

^  ,.   .       .     ^    J  i  R.  B.  \^'olf    ...  .  .  4';: 

Kelife'iori  in  Industry.  -,'  - 

•  r  S.  W.  Grafflin  .  .  .  ,  4  i: 

The  Foreman.    John  Calder      .,.-...         4! 

Fundamentals  of   Prosperity.     Roger  W    Eabson  .  oil. 

''Corr-rnents"  on  the  Conference  .  .  .  .  .  G: 


r  ^' 

i 


-^ 


3: 


Cr^c^-.1,     -V  -      CL^t^.-^\Z^      .        ^^ '■  -  -"  "-^u^w 


SUMMARY  OF  THE  INDUSTRIAL  CONFERENCE 
ON  "HUMAN  RELATIONS  IN  INDUSTRY" 


THE   CONFERENCE   OPENED   AT  3:00   ON   FRIDAY,   AUGUST"   --T    AND 
CLOSED  AT  9:00  ON  SUNDAY  NIGHT,  AUGUST  29 


THE  PURPOSE 

The  greatest  problems  of  the  day  are  industrial.  The  most  important 
factor  in  industry  is  the  human  factor.  Men  dealing  with  the  human 
factor  have  been  anxious  to  get  together,  exchange  experiences,  and  dis- 
cuss these  matters  of  vital  interest  with  experts  from  various  fields.  The 
Silver  Bay  Industrial  Conference,  characterized  as  the  "Good  Will  and 
Square  Deal  Conference,"  presented  an  ideal  opportunity. 

AMONG  THOSE  ATTENDING 

More  than  600  intensely  interested  men  and  women. 

Two  hundred  and  fifty  of  these  were  representatives  from  the  follow- 
ing industries :  lumber,  iron  and  steel,  mining,  paper  and  pulp,  silk,  tex- 
tile, shoes,  tire  and  rubber,  electric,  hosiery,  chemical,  sugar,  ink,  shirts 
and  collars,  automobile,  and  stoves.  Of  this  number  12%  were  presi- 
dents, vice  presidents  and  general  managers ;  24%  were  superintendents 
and  department  managers;  64%  foremen,  personnel  managers  and  other 
representatives  of  industry. 

Two  hundred  and  twenty-five  secretaries  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  in  the  field  of  industry. 

One  hundred  and  fifty  others,  including  ministers,  editors,  lawyers,  etc. 

THE  COMMITTEE 

The  conference  was  held  under  the  auspices  of  the  following  Com- 
mittee : 

S.  J.  Carpenter,  Lumber  Manufacturer. 

Sidney  Blumenthal,  President,  Sidney  Blumenthal  &  Company,  Inc. 

J.  Parke  Channing,  Vice  President,  Miami  Copper  Company. 


Geo.  E.  Emnio«s.,/y-i'c<2;FreS'!deat,  General  Electric  Company. 
Louis  S. '  Foulkes,  'Secretary,  Rochester  Stamping  Company. 

E.  Kent  Hubbard,  President,  Manufacturers'  Association  of  Conn. 

F.  J.  Kingsbury,  President,  Bridgeport  Brass  Company. 
J.  E.  Otterson,  President,  Winchester  Repeating  Arms  Company. 
Sam  A.  Lewisohn,  Adolph  Lewisohn  &  Sons. 
L.  M.  Tyler,  Vice  President,  The  Acme  Wire  Company. 
W.  H.  Woodin,  President,  American  Car  &  Foundry  Company. 
A  Committee  of  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Secretaries  cooperating. 

FEATURES 

Members  of  the  Committee  who  were  in  attendance  acted  as  chairmen 
of  the  various  sessions. 

Charles  R.  Towson,  Secretary,  Industrial  Department,  International 
Committee,  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  presided  at  the  dis- 
cussions. 

Questions  and  discussions  were  given  special  emphasis  and  were  en-i 
tered  into  with  enthusiasm. 

Mass  singing  under  the  leadership  of  M.  J.  Brines  of  Boston  enlivened 
each  meeting.  The  American  Industries  Quartet  was  present  throughout 
the  Conference  and  made  a  large  contribution,  receiving  hearty  applause 
at  each  appearance. 

The  play  feature  found  full  expression  in  mass  activities,  tennis,  swim- 
ming, baseball,  launch  trips,  hikes,  horseback  riding  and  many  other 
forms  of  outdoor  sport. 

The  Saturday  afternoon  visit  to  Fort  Ticonderoga  was  a  memorable 
one.  Over  one  hundred  of  the  conference  delegates  were  the  guests  at 
tea  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pell,  the  owners  of  the  historic  old  fort. 

The  "Art  Gallery"  of  general  and  local  industrial  exhibits,  and  the 
thrift  exhibit,  attracted  much  attention. 

The  adequate  supply  of  literature,  for  free  distribution  and  for  refer- i 
ence,  supplemented  the  subject  matter  of  addresses  and  discussions. 

The  latest  improved  motion  picture  machines  showed  methods  of  teach- 
ing English  to  foreigners,  various  forms  of  safety  and  welfare  work  and 
many  industrial  processes  of  interest  to  employers  and  employes. 

Special  sleepers  were  provided  for  return  to  New  York. 

The  marked  interest  on  the  part  of  the  delegates  found  enthusiastic 
expression  in  the  hope  that  such  a  conference  will  be  called  about  the 
same  time  next  year. 

The  Conference  opened  at  3  :00  on  Friday,  August  27,  and  closed  at 
9  :00  on  Sunday  night,  August  39. 

2 


THIS  SUMMARY 

The  lack  of  space  does  not  admit  of  the  presentation  of  the  whole  pro- 
ceedings of  the  Conference.  For  this  reason  the  Committee  has  taken 
the  liberty  to  give  the  main  points  from  some  of  the  addresses,  believing 
that  the  material  here  presented  will  be  more  generally  and  more  care- 
fully read  than  would  be  the  case  with  a  larger  report. 


THE  PROGRAM 

FRIDAY,  AUGUST  27 

3:00  P.:M.     Opening  Session — S.  J.  Carpenter,  Lumber  Manufacturer, 
Presiding. 

"The  Industrial  World  Situation." 
Fred  B.   Smith,  Assistant  to  the  President,  H.  B.  Johns-Manville 
Company. 

7:30  P.M.    Evening  Session — Geo.  E.  Emmons,  Vice  President,  General 
Electric  Company,  Presiding. 
"The  Coming  American  and  the  Resident  Alien." 

Allen  T.   Burns,  Director  of   Study  of   Americanization  Methods, 
Carnegie  Foundation. 

Discussion. 

Dr.  Peter  Roberts,  International  Committee,  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

Roger  W.  Straus,  Assistant  to  the  President,  American  Smelting  & 

Refining  Company 
And  others. 

SATURDAY,  AUGUST  28 

9:00  A.M.     Morning  Session — F.  J.  Kingsbury,  President,  Bridgeport 
Brass  Company,  Presiding. 

"Mutual  Relations  in  Industry." 

L.  P.  Alford,  Editor,  Industrial  Management. 

Discussion. 

E.  H.  Betts,  President,  Earl  &  Wilson  Company 

F.  J.  Kingsbury,  President,  Bridgeport  Brass  Company 
R.  H.  Booth,  Bridgeport  Brass  Company 

And  others. 

Afternoon. 

Recreation  and  Trip  to  Fort  Ticonderoga, 

3 


7 :30  P.M.    Evening  Session — J.  Parke  Channing,  Vice  President,  Miami 
Copper  Company,  Presiding. 

"The  Engineer." 

Sam  A.  Lewisohn,  Adolph  Lewisohn  &  Sons. 
"Experiences  with  a  Cooperative  Committee." 

S.  H.  Libby,  Managing  Engineer,  Sprague  Electric  Works 

And  others. 

"Constructive  Adjustment  of  Industrial  Relations." 
John  Leitch,  President,  The  John  Leitch  Company. 

SUNDAY,  AUGUST  29 
9:00  A.M.     Morning  Session  and  Discussion — Charles  R.  Towson.  In- 
dustrial Department,  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  New  York  City,  Presiding. 

10  :00  A.M.    Special  Service. 
"Religion  in  Industry." 

R.  B.  Wolf,  Consulting  Industrial  Engineer. 

S.  W.  Grafflin.  Religious  Work  Director.  West  Side  Y.  ^I.  C.  A., 

New  York. 
Dr.  Byron  C.  Piatt  and  the  American  Industries  Quartet. 

2 :00    P.M.      Afternoon    Session — J.    Parke    Channing,    Vice    President, 
Miami  Copper  Company,  Presiding. 
"The  Foreman." 

John  Calder,  Alanager  of  Industrial  Relations.  Swift  &  Company. 

2  :45  P.M.    Round  Table  Conferences. 

1.  "The  ^Management — Some  of  the  Problems  of  the  President,  Treas- 
urer and  Manager." — J.  E.  Nute,  Presiding. 

2.  "The  Foreman— The  Man  Next  to  the  Men."— R.  B.  Wolf,  Pre- 

siding. 

3.  "Personnel  Management — Employment,  Service  and  Industrial  Re- 

lations Problems." — E.  H.  Betts,  Presiding. 

4.  "The  Coming  American — The  Foreign-Born  W^orker." — J.  Parke 

Channing,  Presiding. 

5.  "The    *Y'   in    Industry — Practical    Experience    of    Managers    and 

Shopmen." — S.  J.  Carpenter,  Presiding. 

7 :30  P.M.     Closing  Session — S.  J.   Carpenter,   Lumber  Alanufacturer, 
Presiding. 

Arthur  Morey,  General  Manager,  Commonwealth  Steel  Company. 
"Fundamentals  of  Prosperity." 

Roger  W.  Babson,  President,  The  Babson  Statistical  Bureau. 

4 


OPENING  SESSION,  FRIDAY,  AUGUST  27,  1920,  3:00  P.M. 
S.  J.  Carpenter,  Lumber  IManiifacturer,  Presiding. 

The  Conference  was  formally  opened  by  Mr.  S.  J.  Carpenter,  who, 
speaking  for  the  Committee  in  charge  of  the  Conference,  welcomed  the 
delegates  and  introduced  the  speaker  of  the  afternoon,  Mr.  Fred  B.  Smith. 

"The  Industrial  World  Situation" — Fred  B.  Smith,  Assistant  to  the 
President,  H.  B.  Johns-Manville  Company,  New  York  City: 

Mr.  Chairman  and  Gentlemen :  I  count  it  a  real  privilege  to  be  here 
and  to  participate  in  this  very  significant  conference.  I  am  not  at  all  sure 
that  I  shall  be  able  to  make  any  very  great  contribution  to  the  Conference, 
but  I  am  sure  that  it  will  be  one  of  rare  profit  to  me  personally.  And  I 
would  not  feel  that  I  had  been  just  to  myself  or  just  to  you,  if  I  did  not 
state,  in  terms  which  cannot  possibly  be  misunderstood,  the  fact  that  I  do 
not  profess  to  be  an  expert  upon  the  industrial  question.  But  I  do  know 
that  we  are  called  here  today  in  conference  upon  the  most  difficult  problem 
which  confronts,  not  only  the  American  people,  but  the  whole  civilized 
world. 

The  industrial  problem  is  THE  problem;  standing  right  in  the  middle 
of  the  road  of  the  ivorld's  progress  and  demanding  solution.  Anywhere 
you  turn  your  eye  you  are  confronted  with  this  fact ;  and  I  may  say  that, 
while  a  good  deal  has  been  done  by  way  of  experimentation  and  investi- 
gation, I  think  we  are  nevertheless  compelled  to  admit  that  we  have  not 
gotten  very  far. 

Life  is  growing  more  intense.  The  great  geographical  frontiers  are 
closing  in,  and  with  every  passing  year  now  life  becomes  more  intense, 
and  with  that  intensifying  there  is  a  corresponding  strain  on  industrialism. 
And,  I  may  add  further,  a  solution  must  be  found  better  than  anything 
yet  discovered  or  else  we  may  as  well  prepare  for  an  explosion.  That  ex- 
plosion has  taken  place  in  Russia ;  it  has  taken  place  in  Italy ;  it  has  taken 
place  in  Germany ;  and  they  are  on  the  verge  of  it  on  the  British  Isles  and 
in  France.  And  in  some  form  or  other,  modified  though  it  may  be,  and 
yet  with  similar  manifestations,  the  same  warnings  are  being  given  to  us 
in  the  United  States. 

There  are  two  extreme  views  being  brought  constantly  to  our  attention. 
One  is  represented  by  what  may  be  termed  the  red  radical  in  the  labor 
world,  who  is  saying  that  the  only  hope  is  for  violent  revolution,  destruc- 
tion of  life  and  property.  The  other  extreme  may  be  classified  as  the 
ultraconservative,  standpat  man  of  privilege  who  refuses  to  yield  an 
inch,  but  who  says  the  fight  has  to  come,  he  is  ready,  bring  it  on!  Of 
these  two,  little  that  is  encouraging  can  be  expected,  and  it  seems  to  me 

5 


this  conference  represents  an  earnest  of  a  better  day,  in  that  we  have  met 
here,  not  with  our  minds  rigidly  fixed,  hut  seriously  and  sincerely  asking 
what  the  next  step  is  to  he, 

I  do  not  wish  to  be  indifferent  to  those  efforts  which  have  been  made 
and  are  being  made,  but  I  am  going  to  pass  most  of  these  as  being  already- 
pretty  thoroughly  accepted.  I  am  sure  every  delegate  in  this  conference 
believes  in  every  form  of  welfare  work  which  makes  for  the  betterment 
of  living  and  working  conditions  in  the  industrial  realm.  I  believe  every 
delegate  in  this  conference  must  be  practically  convinced  that  a  new  form 
of  democracy  in  control  of  industry  is  here  to  remain.  I  am  sure  every 
delegate  here  is  an  apostle  of  the  ideals  of  partnership  between  labor  and 
capital  rather  than  the  old  doctrine  of  enmity  and  competition.  But  I  am 
bound  to  say  that  all  these  and  others  that  might  be  named,  splendid  as 
they  are,  will  never  solve  the  problem  unless  we  get  back  behind  the  scenes 
and  deal  with  the  sources  of  a  lot  of  our  trouble,  and  in  this  I  wish  to 
name  just  three. 

First  of  all,  I  have  been  long  convinced  that  the  solution  of  the  vexed 
question  of  industrialism,  will  never  he  zuhat  we  desire  until  our  entire 
educational  processes  are  modified.  I  must  protect  myself  here  by  saying 
that  I  believe  this  country  of  ours  has  produced  the  best  relations  that  are 
knozvn  in  the  history  of  the  world  betzvecn  capital  and  labor.  I  also  be- 
lieve our  public  school  system  is  the  best  known,  and  when  I  speak  of 
educational  processes  I  do  not  mean  schools  alone.  I  mean  all  of  those 
forces  which  have  to  do  with  making  public  opinion,  and  by  that  standard 
I  am  compelled  to  say  that  somezvhere  zve  have  failed  and  failed  furiously. 
The  finished  product  is  urrong;  the  finished  product  as  we  have  it  today 
only  promises  more  trouble  and  yet  more  trouble  in  the  future. 

We  are  producing  the  idea  that  success  in  life  is  to  acquire  a  lot  of 
money,  and  that  when  money  is  acquired  the  man  who  wins  it  has  a  right 
to  do  about  anything  he  wants  to  with  it.  Here  is  an  illustration.  I  met 
a  man  recently  who  had  made  a  lot  of  "quick"  money.  He  bought  up  ten 
miles  of  water  front  of  the  most  beautiful  beach  on  the  Atlantic  Coast. 
Then  he  put  a  fifteen-foot  barbed  wire  fence  around  it  with  no  gates  and 
went  to  Europe  to  spend  two  years.  When  I  asked  him  why  he  did  this 
his  reply  was,  "The  wheels  turned  right  with  me  and  I  may  want  that  for 
a  playground  when  I  get  back."  Within  a  twenty  cent  carfare  ride,  eight 
million  people  are  crowded  in,  hungry  for  the  open  air,  the  woods  and  a 
look  at  the  sea.  That  man  evidently  believes  it  is  perfectly  right  for  him 
to  fence  off  that  ten  miles  and  keep  it  for  a  possible  playground  for  him- 
self in  the  future,  without  any  regard  to  his  responsibility  to  folks.  I 
think  I  would  rather  have  Emma  Goldman  for  my  next  door  neighbor 
than  a  man  of  that  kind,  and  I  would  feel  quite  certain  that  she  would 

6 


produce  less  of  Bolshevism  than  that  man  who  is  without  any  conception 
of  his  social  obligation. 

I  met  another  man  recently  who  asked  me  what  it  cost  to  send  my 
daughter  to  college  for  a  year.  I  gave  him  approximately  the  figure  and 
then,  with  perfect  surprise,  he  said,  "Why,  it  cost  me  nearly  $16,000  to 
outfit  my  daughter  to  go."  Here  again  is  an  illustration  of  a  man  who 
had  made  a  lot  of  money,  and  who  felt  that  he  had  a  perfect  right  to 
spend  it  in  that  way.  Now  the  educational  processes  have  got  to  be 
changed  way  back  at  their  source  if  we  are  to  get  rid  of  that  conception 
of  private  ownership.  Dr.  Mackenzie  King,  in  his  wonderful  book  upon 
Industrialism  says,  "The  hour  has  come  when  there  is  no  justification  for 
private  ownership  of  property  outside  of  social  service  for  the  welfare  of 
the  community."  Either  we  must  get  a  new  conception  of  the  sacredness 
of  private  ownership,  or  else  get  ready  for  state  control  and  ownership. 

In  the  second  place,  /  am  persuaded  that  zve  have  got  to  have  a  reorgan- 
isation in  the  zvhole  spirit  of  our  legislative  processes.  In  a  growing 
democracy  we  become  increasingly  dependent  upon  legislative  functions, 
and  as  the  years  pass  now  the  legislative  hall  will  admit  as  germane 
topics  which  were  never  found  there  ten,  fifteen  and  twenty-five  years 
ago.  Legislative  control  will  enter  into  the  realm  that  a  few  years  ago 
was  thought  to  be  purely  domestic,  to  say  nothing  of  entering  the  com- 
munity. And  therefore  it  becomes  of  ever  growing  significance  that  the 
spirit  behind  legislation  shall  be  pure.  I  cannot  help  but  say  that  observa- 
tion now  brings  rather  a  pessimistic  thought  of  the  condition  of  our  coun- 
try at  this  time. 

Our  great  political  parties  seem,  at  least  upon  the  surface,  to  be  doing 
their  very  best  to  camouflage  upon  fundamental,  moral  and  spiritual  ques- 
tions. Take  as  an  illustration  the  attitude  of  both  the  great  parties  upon 
the  integrity  of  the  Eighteenth  Amendment  and  the  Volstead  Act.  To  all 
evident  purposes  they  would  ignore  this  question,  and  throw  dust  in  the 
air  upon  other  less  important  problems  upon  which  there  is  not  very  much 
difference  of  political  opinion.  We  are  in  a  bad  fix  with  the  kind  of  a 
political  system  that  is  going  stale,  worn  out  by  the  want  of  idealism  and 
moral  fervor.  And  this  in  a  new  democracy !  //  we  are  to  meet  the  strain 
of  industrialism  zve  need  a  nczv  conception  of  the  sacredness  of  the  legisla- 
tive function. 

If  we  are  to  have  a  low  standard  of  legislative  power  then  I  would  a 
great  deal  rather  go  back  to  the  old  days  of  autocracy,  for  in  an  era  of 
autocracy  there  is  at  least  a  gambler's  chance  to  get,  once  in  a  while,  a 
decent  autocrat.  But  once  you  have  lowered  the  standards  of  legislative 
power  in  an  era  of  strong  democracy,  you  have  no  chance  at  all  for  prob- 
lems such  as  those  confronting  the  industrial  world.    Here  then  we  come 


to  a  field  vast  enough  to  command  the  greatest  leadership  of  the  nation  if 
we  are  to  get  the  right  solution. 

In  the  third  place,  however,  and  with  all  the  strength  I  can  command, 
I  wish  to  say  that  I  believe,  finally,  eventually  and  everlastingly,  that  the 
solution  of  this  problem  involves  the  infusion  of  the  right  kind  of  religion 
into  it.  When  I  say  that,  perhaps  it  is  well  to  pause  a  moment  and  ask 
whether  there  is  such  a  thing  as  the  wrong  kind  of  religion.  I  think  the 
answer  is,  yes,  there  is  stich  a  possibility.  Russia  had  religion,  but  it 
failed  absolutely  to  touch  this  question,  and  Bolshevism  is  the  result. 
Germany  had  religion,  but  it  never  seemed  to  touch  the  German  con- 
science at  this  point,  and  the  World  War  zvas  the  result.  I  once  visited 
a  country  where  I  was  told  ninety-nine  per  cent  of  all  the  people  were 
members  of  a  Christian  church,  but  in  all  my  experience  I  do  not  remem- 
ber anything  more  terrible  than  the  condition  of  the  poor,  or  the  general 
morals  of  all  the  people.  So,  by  this  and  other  illustrations  which  could  be 
added,  it  becomes  quite  apparent  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  the  wrong 
kind  of  religion. 

Passing  that  for  a  moment,  however,  /  want  to  call  your  attention,  gen- 
tlemen, to  three  or  four  facts  zvhich  m,ake  me  certain  that  religion  is  the 
last  answer.  First,  among  these,  I  would  ask  you  to  think  of  this  truth : 
religion  leads  men  everyzvhere  to  think  of  a  spiritual  interpretation  of  life. 
What  is  it  after  all  that  is  causing  this  bitterness  in  the  industrial  world  ? 
What  is  it  that  leads  one  man  to  feel  that  the  only  way  he  can  get  his 
rights  in  the  world  is  to  go  out  and  do  violence  to  life  and  property? 
What  is  it,  on  the  other  hand,  that  leads  another  man  to  feel  that  all  he 
has  to  do  is  to  get  by  with  his  own  profit  sheet?  Is  it  not  just  a  picture 
of  the  intense  materialism  of  the  hour  in  which  we  live?  Is  it  not  there- 
fore a  fact  that  somewhere  into  this  mooted  question  there  must  be 
brought  the  influence  of  religion,  which  alone  lifts  men  out  of  that  mate- 
rialistic conception  of  life,  and  leads  them  to  interpret  things  upon  a  spir- 
itual basis  ? 

In  the  second  place  I  should  like  to  have  you  remember  that  it  is  reli- 
gion and  religion  alone  zvhich  really,  truly  knozvs  the  language  of  brother- 
hood. Warren  Stone,  that  great  chairman  of  a  great  brotherhood,  said 
the  other  day,  "I  zvould  like  once  in  my  life  to  join  some  group  of  men 
who  are  organised  for  a  real  brotherhood."  This  was  but  another  way  of 
saying  that  thus  far  in  the  history  of  the  world  we  have  not  succeeded 
very  well  in  knowing  what  brotherhood  actually  means,  and  I  am  bold 
enough  to  say  today  that  we  never  will  know  that  until  we  have  learned  by 
the  language  of  religion. 

I  wish  also  to  ask  you  to  remember  in  the  third  place  that  religion  helps 
men  to  take  a  very  long  view  of  life.  No  man  has  a  right  to  tackle  this 

8 


industrial  question  ivhosc  capacity  is  not  great  enough  to  think  in  genera- 
tions. Restless,  undue  haste  will  set  this  cause  back  rather  than  forward. 
Religion  leads  men  to  reckon  with  cooperation,  and  gives  them  patience 
to  wait  the  working  out  of  the  principles  of  God. 

In  conclusion,  however,  I  wish  to  add  a  word  concerning  this  right  kind 
of  religion,  and  I  think  I  would  put  first  that  the  religion  that  is  going  to 
help  most  in  tJiis  must  primarily  be  a  religion  of  positive,  unadulterated 
sincerity.  It  must  not  be  a  religion  that  a  group  of  capitalists  underwrite 
with  a  kind  of  expectation  that  it  will  have  a  quieting  effect  on  their  em- 
ployes and  let  them  reap  unfair  profits.  On  the  other  hand  it  must  not 
be  an  agitated  type  of  religion  which  plays  upon  the  emotions  of  men  for 
the  sake  of  currying  favor  with  the  street  mob.  It  must  be  absolutely 
sincere.  But  I  want  to  say  again  that  it  must  he  a  religion  based  essentially 
upon  service  to  humanity.  Not  petty  differences  of  theological  belief  does 
the  industrially  strained  world  inquire  for;  not  old  traditions  or  past 
promises.  This  problem  you  and  I  face  today  is  asking  for  a  religion 
which  conserves  the  needs  of  needy  folks;  a  religion  which  is  anxious 
that  children  shall  be  zvell  fed;  a  religion  zvhich  is  anxious  that  children 
shall  be  well  clothed  and  housed;  a  religion  which  demands  that  every 
man  born  in  the  image  of  God  shall  have  a  fair  shozv  for  his  life  here  as 
well  as  in  that  zvhich  is  to  be. 

Ladies  and  gentlemen,  in  conclusion  let  me  congratulate  every  one  of 
you  who  sincerely  and  earnestly  is  engaged  in  undertaking  to  solve  this 
problem.  It  is  worth  the  best  there  is  in  your  life  and  the  best  there  is  in 
my  life. 

EVENING  SESSION,  7:30  P.M. 
Geo.  E.  Emmons,  Vice  President,  General  Electric  Company,  Presiding. 

"The  Coming  American  and  the  Resident  Alien" — Allen  T.  Burns, 
Director  of  Study  of  Americanization  Methods,  Carnegie  Founda- 
tion : 

Fellow  Americans,  and  fellow  citizens !  In  these  days  of  changes  it 
would  be  rash  for  a  speaker  to  talk  about  anything  that  is  coming,  whether 
it  is  the  Coming  America  or  not.  I  believe  so  much  in  the  past  America 
that  I  believe  that  we  can  do  no  better,  in  working  for  the  coming  Amer- 
ica, than  to  understand  very  fully  what  the  America  of  the  past  has  been. 
We  will  then  surely  build  a  suitable  coming  America. 

What  is  the  genius  of  America,  out  of  which  must  come  whatever  we 
may  wish  the  future  America  to  be?  The  spirit  of  the  past  America  is 
the  spirit  of  the  immigrant.  The  immigrant  spirit  today  is  essentially  the 
same  as  that  three  hundred  years  ago,  for  it  takes  a  certain  kind  of  effort 
to  he  an  immigrant ,  no  less  today  than  originally.     The  iinrnigrant  needs 

9 


self-assertion,  self-determination  to  come  to  this  country.  We  do  not 
need  to  have  much  imagination  to  realise  zvhat  it  means  to  break  home  ties 
and  travel  to  a  soil  three  thousand  miles  distant,  for  those  early  immi- 
grants, and  present  immigrants,  are  made  out  of  that  sort  of  stuff.  They 
are  people  who  are  determined  to  be  masters  of  their  ozvii  fate.  Only 
such  can  fully  face  the  hardships  they  are  facing  to  become  Americans. 

So  the  people  who  come  to  America  at  all  times  have  been  people  who 
have  been  unusually  self-reliant;  who  have  been  moved  by  the  spirit  of 
self-dependence,  for  the  securing  of  whatever  they  may  hope  to  secure 
of  the  good  things  of  life.  America  has  become  what  she  has  become  be- 
cause of  this  unusual  spirit  of  individuality  and  self-reliance.  We  see 
this  in  a  good  many  fields  of  life.  Our  employers  pay  the  highest  wages 
in  the  world  because  our  workmen  can  turn  out  much  more  than  men  of 
any  other  countries.  That  spirit  of  independence,  of  responsibility,  and 
of  self-reliance,  has  been  making  of  the  workmen  of  America  a  great 
factor  in  competition. 

The  problem  of  coming  America  is  the  problem  of  how  that  intensive 
individualism  of  ours  is  to  be  transposed  into  group  action.  Education 
is  needed  that  will  teach  us,  as  life  becomes  more  and  more  complex,  just 
what  individual  rights  we  are  to  surrender ;  how  we  are  to  realize  our- 
selves more  fully  in  the  joint  action  of  the  group  that  has  come  into  being. 
I  doubt  very  much  if  the  time  is  coming  soon  when  our  children's  food 
and  clothes  will  be  prescribed  by  law.  America  will  be  the  last  country  in 
the  world  to  permit  that  sort  of  thing  to  take  place  because  of  that  intense  ' 
self-reliance.  But  the  thing  Mr.  Smith  is  driving  at  is  the  most  signifi- 
cant and  important  change  that  is  taking  place  today — that  increasing 
complexity  of  life  and  the  methods  of  coping  with  it.  We  are  going  to 
have  to  take  care  of  more  and  more  things  jointly,  instead  of  separately 
and  individually.  The  problem  of  America  is  hozv  our  individualism  can 
be  so  transformed,  by  the  spirit  of  cooperation  and  brotherlincss,  that, 
where  our  interests  are  in  common,  we  can  unite  in  common  effort. 

I  might  spend  the  evening  in  discussing  how  Americans  are  going  to 
express  this  same  old  fundamental  spirit  of  self-reliance,  self-expression 
and  self-direction,  in  the  new  form  of  united  eflfort.     If  we  stop  to  think 
about  some  of  the  things  already  mentioned  in  connection  with  our  politi- 
cal campaigns,  we  will  realize  that  this  resident  alien,  in  some  directions,  ' 
has  become  much  more  capable  of  making  himself  heard  than  we  native  j 
born  seem  to  be  able  to  do.     Considering  this  inarticulateness  of  ours  it  | 
is  not  strange  that  people  who  can  hold  together  as  do  the  Irish,  should 
get  into  our  politics,  or  that  those  who  have  the  solidarity  of  the  Poles 
should  have  their  problems  discussed,  much  more  than  some  of  the  prob- 
lems pressing  in  America.     The  question  we  are  all  asking  today  in  con- 

10 


ncction  with  our  industrial  unrest,  and  our  political  confusion,  is  the  ques- 
tion zvhether  the  resident  alien  can  he  made  an  intelligent  factor  in  the 
solving  of  our  common  problems.  If  the  resident  alien  is  to  be  a  construc- 
tive factor  in  the  coming  America,  then  he  must  become  able  to  take  an 
intelligent  and  effective  part  in  the  solution  of  these  common  problems. 
Is  that  possible  ?  Let  me  call  to  your  attention  a  few  instances  that  seem 
to  me  to  throw  some  light  upon  the  question. 

I  went  to  a  town  in  ]\Iassachusetts  where  there  was  a  colony  of  Finns, 
and  saw  how  that  group  had  worked  out  their  problems,  which  are  com- 
mon to  other  American  communities.  Realizing  that  they  could  never 
solve  these  problems  as  individuals,  they  formed  themselves  into  groups, 
organized  recreational  centers,  and  provided  their  musical  and  theatrical 
entertainments  under  professional  direction.  They  were  the  first  group  in 
that  town,  that  we  knew  of .  to  begin  providing  facilities  for  themselves  to 
learn  English  and  civics.  They  gave  it  up  only  when  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  went 
them  one  better.  They  had  a  vacation  farm  for  a  week-end  rest.  They 
had  built  the  first  community  gymnasium,  which  also  antedated  the  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  In  this  same  building  is  the  meeting  place  of  all  the  labor  organiza- 
tions of  the  town.  They  established  a  chain  of  stores,  operated  on  the 
English  cooperative  basis  of  the  profits  being  divided  among  the  custom- 
ers in  proportion  to  the  purchases.  The  stores  developed  into  the  best 
stores  in  the  city.  They  added  a  milk  route,  bakery  and  restaurant,  and 
they  were  solving  their  economic  problems.  I  wondered  what  difference 
it  had  made  in  their  feeling  towards  America,  so  I  asked  the  manager. 
He  said  that  it  had  interested  thousands  of  Finns  in  their  organization; 
that  their  leisure  was  not  now  given  to  talking  revolution,  but  that  their 
time  was  spent  in  zvorking  out  their  immediate  problems.  Because  these 
men  had  learned,  by  actual  experience  in  collective  democratic  action,  to 
solve  their  pressing  problems,  the  desire  for  revolution  has  died  out,  and 
democracy  is  real  and  practical  to  them.  So  that,  in  their  group  at  least, 
there  appears  to  be  the  possibility  of  transmitting  or  transforming  this 
tremendous  self-assertion  of  the  immigrant  in  America  into  the  group 
action  necessary  to  meet  our  common  problems.  The  more  I  go  among 
immigrants  the  more  I  find  the  immigrant  realizes  that  his  resources  with- 
out those  of  the  native  are  insufficient,  but  he  also  realizes  equally  well 
that  in  the  full  solution  he  must  be  a  partner  on  an  equal  footing. 

Recently  I  had  a  call  from  the  head  of  the  Ukrainian  Social  Settlement 
which  had  erected  a  building  at  a  cost  of  $75,000.  They  had  reached  the 
limit  of  their  wisdom  and  wanted  some  advice.  I  replied,  "It  is  strange 
that  you  come  to  me ;  why  don't  you  go  to  the  Settlement  Federation  ?" 
The  answer  was,  "Because  they  don't  cooperate  with  us  on  an  equal 
footing." 

11 


At  an  Italian  picnic  in  Chicago,  held  July  fourth  of  last  year,  132  socie- 
ties met  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a  federation.  Many  of  their 
problems  of  hygiene  and  financial  relief  had  become  too  big  to  handle  as 
separate  units,  so  they  formed  a  union  for  mutual  support  and  strength. 
But  in  addition  one  Italian  said :  "I  have  seen  them  in  Chicago  organizing 
health  campaigns,  and  we  notice  that  they  make  their  plans  for  these  cam- 
paigns and  proceed  to  put  them  over  without  consulting  those  for  whose 
benefit  they  are  intended.  Perhaps  if  we  form  a  federation  we  shall 
appear  important  enough  to  be  taken  into  partnership." 

Polish  immigrants  invaded  one  of  the  old  historic  towns  in  New  Eng- 
land. They  came  in  and  unsettled  the  life  and  morale  of  that  town.  The 
American  spirit  came  to  the  rescue.  There  were  only  a  Congregational 
and  a  Catholic  Church  and  together  they  ran  the  town.  It  was  proposed 
that  the  Poles  build  a  Catholic  church,  assisted  by  the  whole  community. 
That  church  began  to  he  an  equal  pozver  zvith  the  other  churches  in  town 
affairs  and  that  tozcn  has  outstripped  other  tozvns  and  villages  in  commu- 
nity progress  because  they  found  some  zi'ay  of  taking  Poles  in  as  equal 
partners. 

At  the  end  of  the  first  Liberty  Loan  a  German-American  v/ent  to  the 
Treasury  Department  and  said,  "You  are  not  getting  returns  from  the 
immigrant  population.  They  do  not  respond  to  this  individual  method, 
but  if  you  will  take  the  foreign  societies  and  make  them  active  partners, 
you  will  be  surprised  at  results."  The  recommendation  of  this  German- 
xA-merican  was  put  into  efifect,  and  that  man  was  put  at  the  head  of  the 
Foreign  Language  Division.  The  census  tells  us  that  thirty-three  per  cent 
of  our  total  population  zvere  born  abroad,  or  have  parents  zvho  zvere  born 
abroad.  The  returns  of  all  the  succeeding  liberty  loans  shozved  that  forty 
to  fifty  per  cent  of  all  the  subscribers  came  from  the  Foreign  Language 
Division.  Cooperation  must  permeate  that  intensive  individual  enterprise 
of  the  new  America,  if  America  is  to  do  its  part  in  bringing  brotherliness 
and  democracy  to  the  world. 

Discussion. 

Dr.  Peter  Roberts,  International  Committee,  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  New  York 
City: 

I  heartily  endorse  all  Mr.  Burns  has  said  as  to  assimilation  of  the  for-  ' 
eign  born  in  the  United  States.  I  believe  in  the  analysis  he  gives  of  the 
development  of  America.  I  would  add  to  that  the  fact  of  national  crys- 
tallization. Whenever  a  people  colonizes  a  new  country,  they  are  acted 
upon  by  new  forces,  such  as  new  physical  conditions,  new  neighbors,  new 
lines  of  development  and  new  institutions  to  fit  new  social  and  industrial 

12 


problems.  This  crystallization  has  taken  place  in  America,  and  there  is  a 
distinct  American  spirit,  a  distinct  American  type  of  civilization.  IVhat 
we  ask  the  immigrant  of  today  to  do  is  to  fall  in  line  with  this  democracy 
as  evolved  in  America.  Those  zvho  come  into  the  country  now  have  some- 
thing to  contribute  and  much  to  learn.  It  is  a  process  of  giving  and  tak- 
ing.   The  immigrant  zvho  cannot  do  this  ivill  not  be  assimilated. 

Every  one  of  us  has  three  windows  at  which  we  may  stand :  the  window 
facing  the  past,  the  window  facing  the  present,  and  the  window  facing  the 
future.  Every  one  of  us,  especially  as  we  grow  older,  delights  to  stand 
at  the  window  facing  the  past  and  look  back  to  the  days  of  our  childhood. 
We  see  the  fields  in  which  we  played ;  the  church  in  which  we  worshiped. 
We  remember  the  evenings  when  our  father  told  us  of  the  nation's  life 
and  the  heroes  of  our  people.  We  recall  the  days  our  mother  taught  us 
to  sing  the  songs  of  our  people.  We  remember  the  national  history,  the 
epochs  of  the  life  of  our  people,  and  we  know  its  philosophy,  its  poets, 
its  singers.  We  all  stand  before  that  window  and  look  into  the  past,  and 
it  gives  us  much  joy.  Every  foreigner  who  comes  to  the  United  States 
does  the  same.  You  will  never  be  able  to  take  him  away  from  that  win- 
dow. No  true  American  is  anxious  to  have  him  forget  the  past.  Let  him 
sing  his  songs;  let  him  remember  his  heroes,  his  philosophy,  his  childhood 
days, — we  all  love  to  do  it,  and  we  will  let  the  foreigner  do  so. 

There  is  another  window, — that  which  faces  the  present.  Some  immi- 
grants come  to  the  United  States  and  persist  in  standing  at  the  window 
of  the  past.  That  is  where  they  make  a  mistake.  They  cling  to  their  own 
institutions,  use  only  their  mother  tongue,  never  depart  from  the  customs 
or  the  philosophy  of  their  fathers,  sing  their  own  songs  and  have  no  de- 
light in  any  others.  That  is  wrong.  I  want  the  foreigner  to  come  to  the 
window  that  faces  the  present.  This  country  to  which  he  has  come  has 
a  claim  upon  his  mind  as  zvcll  as  on  his  body.  When  a  group  of  immi- 
grants insist  upon  talking  their  ozvn  language  and  zvill  not  learn  English; 
zvhcn  they  have  no  sympathy  zvith  America  and  only  use  the  country  to 
get  the  means  of  subsistence  and  enrich  their  possessions  in  the  old  coun- 
try, I  do  not  think  they  are  doing  right  by  America.  The  immigrant  is 
very  keen  for  his  economic  interests.  He  looks  after  that.  I  would  have 
him  go  further.  He  should  study  something  about  the  history  and  insti- 
tutions of  this  country,  the  spirit  of  the  nation  and  that  crystallization 
which  has  taken  place  in  national  life.  The  immigrant  himself  must  do 
this.  He  must  look  into  American  institutions,  understand  the  men  zvho 
made  America,  know  what  American  democracy  means,  and  what  forces 
have  been  at  work  to  make  this  great  nation  of  ours.  That  is  what  I  be- 
lieve the  immigrant,  standing  at  the  window  facing  the  present,  should  do. 

The  Dutch  of  Pennsylvania  have  stood  at  the  window  of  the  past  to 

13 


their  own  loss.  They  are  a  splendid  people,  but  they  have  not  been  assim- 
ilated. I  do  not  think  it  is  good  for  any  people  to  live  here  in  America 
and  think  in  terms  of  their  own  people's  interests  in  the  Old  World.  The 
French  Canadians  have  done  that  too  long.  They  have  been  here  for  two 
centuries  and  the  majority  of  them  have  not  been  assimilated.  There  are 
some  foreigners  in  the  United  States  tvho  believe  they  can  raise  another 
flag  than  the  Stars  and  Stripes.  We  want  to  serve  notice  on  them  that 
they  had  better  not  try  it.  It  ivas  tried  once  and  it  failed.  The  vast 
majority  of  foreigners  are  kindly  disposed  to  America,  and  I  wish  it  were 
possible  to  tell  all  of  them :  "Gentlemen,  there  is  an  American  history 
and  there  are  American  heroes.  This  Government  of  ours  is  not  an 
accident ;  it  has  back  of  it  divine  providence.  We  want  you  gentlemen  to 
participate  with  us  and  find  out  what  this  America  stands  for."  That  is 
the  window  we  want  every  immigrant  to  stand  at. 

The  third  window  is  that  facing  the  future.  I  want  every  immigrant 
to  stand  at  this,  for  it  concerns  him  more  than  any  other  group  in  the 
United  States,  because  of  the  large  families  they  have.  For  every  two 
children  born  to  a  mother  of  native  parentage,  five  are  born  to  the  foreign 
born.  The  future  of  America  and  the  welfare  of  the  children  of  the  for- 
eign born  are  inseparably  involved,  and  I  would  that  every  immigrant 
should  stand  at  this  window  and  penetrate  into  the  future. 

When  men  grow  old  they  like  to  stand  at  the  window  of  the  future  and 
see  how  things  in  the  mist  take  shape.  We  all  feel  like  Moses — we  want 
to  climb  up  i\It.  Nebo ;  we  want  to  look  forward  into  the  America  that  is 
to  come.  This  nation  has  had  its  trials,  but  the  trials  of  the  United  States 
in  the  past  are  as  nothing  compared  with  what  is  to  come.  The  con- 
flicts of  the  past  will  seem  petty  when  compared  with  those  to  come.  We 
hope  for  days  of  peace,  but  we  are  far  from  reaching  the  stage  when  there 
will  be  no  more  wars.  The  art  of  war  must  still  be  practiced,  and  the 
equipment  of  armies  must  not  grow  rusty. 

The  future  I  want  the  foreigner  to  consider  is  that  in  which  he  and  his 
children  shall  do  all  they  can  to  make  the  nation  strong  and  right,  for  "the 
people  that  do  know  their  God  shall  be  strong  and  do  exploits."  I  have 
children  growing  up  and  I  try  to  turn  their  faces  to  the  future.  I  try  to 
tell  them  that  there  are  big  problems  coming  and  that  I  want  them  to  stand 
on  the  side  of  truth  and  light  and  God  in  coming  days.  I  wish  the  same 
message  were  carried  to  every  foreign-speaking  colony  in  the  land,  to 
every  boy  and  girl  of  foreign  parentage  in  the  country.  The  result  of 
coming  conflicts  ztnll  depend  more  upon  the  manhood  and  womanhood  of 
America  than  upon  the  amount  of  gold  we  have.  It  will  depend  upon 
their  faith  and  their  confidence  in  the  right  more  than  on  the  product  of 
our  mills  and  mines,  factories  and  shops.     If   America   has   sons  and 

14 


daughters  who^are  sound  in  mind  and  body,  God-fearing  and  brave  for 
the  right,  I  know  she  will  need  fear  no  foe.  If,  however,  they  are  want- 
ing, then  the  future  is  ominous,  clouds  and  darkness  will  come  upon  the 
people,  and  the  ways  of  peace  and  prosperity  will  be  changed  to  paths 
filled  with  thorns  and  briers. 

Roger  W.  Straus,  Assistant  to  the  President,  American  Smelting  & 
Refining  Company : 

The  first  speaker,  Mr.  Burns,  has  very  clearly  outlined  the  cooperative 
spirit  necessary  between  the  native  born  and  the  foreign  born  in  this 
country  to  secure  the  greatest  results,  and  Dr.  Roberts  has  shown  that  our 
citizens  are  the  real  decisive  factor  in  America.  All  this  is  true.  But 
when  zve  think  of  the  future  of  America  zve  are  not  thinking  of  its  build- 
ings nor  of  its  production,  hut  of  the  ideals  of  the  country.  Those  ideals 
depend  entirely  upon  the  character  of  its  citizens. 

There  are  two  sources  of  citizenship  in  the  United  States, — our  native- 
born  youth,  and  the  foreigner.  We  must  see  that  the  character  of  both 
has  an  opportunity  to  develop,  and  that  this  character,  by  proper  educa- 
tion, is  given  an  opportunity  of  being  eflfective. 

The  importance  of  character  is  well  realized  by  any  group  called  to- 
gether by  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  It  is  the  guiding  principle  that  is  absolutely 
essential  if  this  country  is  to  continue  to  take  its  part  in  the  world.  We 
do  not  wish,  in  the  future,  to  look  back  to  1917  and  1918  as  America's 
golden  era.  We  do  not  wish  then  to  say,  "That  was  a  great  time !"  There 
are  some  countries  that  have  to  do  that, — to  look  back  to  their  golden  eras. 

In  the  future  America,  we  want  our  citizens  to  say,  "No !  Our  fathers 
gave  us  an  opportunity  to  see  what  was  right,  and  we  made  progress." 
We  must  now  see  to  it  that  the  foreigners  in  America  are  Americanized. 
Then  in  years  to  come,  we,  too,  can  say,  "We  did  not  stand  still ;  we 
forged  ahead."  However,  zve  cannot  guard  nor  develop  character  in  the 
foreigners  zvho  come  here,  unless  our  native  horn  themselves  are  citizens 
of  fine  character. 

Question  :  Why  is  it  so  difficult  to  Americanize  the  French  Canadians? 

Dr.  Roberts : 

I  fear  we  never  tried  to  solve  it  as  it  ought  to  be  solved.  I  started  in 
this  work  thirteen  years  ago,  and  I  met  great  opposition  on  the  part  of 
Americans  who  did  not  want  to  assimilate  the  French  Canadians,  as  well 
as  other  immigrants.  They  had  a  positive  prejudice  against  the  native 
traits  of  the  foreigner.  It  took  the  war  to  change  all  of  this.  Seven  years 
ago  we  tried  in  vain  to  get  Government  action.    Then  the  war  came  and 

15 


men  ran  to  and  fro  shouting  Americanization.    In  the  last  ^ew  years  there 
has  been  a  steady  approach  and  some  splendid  results  are  being  obtained. 

Mr.  Ulysses  J.  Lupien : 

I  am  a  French  Canadian.  What  we  need  is  God-fearing  school-teach- 
ers. If  there  were  enough  God-fearing  teachers,  the  French  Canadian 
children  would  become  Americanized.  A  good  policy  would  be  to  begin 
by  Americanizing  our  own  young  Americans.  It  is  a  lack  of  God-fearing 
men  and  women  that  permit  these  conditions  to  go  on.  A  good  many 
young  Americans  in  this  country  need  to  be  taught  American  ideals. 
This  is  true  in  Lowell  where  we  have  25,000  French  Canadians  who  can- 
not speak  English. 

Mr.  Richards: 

In  Americanization  to  what  extent  is  Dr.  Roberts  guarding  against  the 
intense  nationalism  of  the  immigrant  ? 


'&' 


Dr.  Roberts : 

We  have  lectures  on  seven  different  nationalities,  Poles,  Greeks,  Slavs, 
etc.  We  have  tried  to  show  what  is  done  in  those  nations  to  interest  the 
foreigners  as  well  as  the  native  born.  We  have,  tried  to  sweep  this  spirit 
of  nationalism  away  by  bringing  together  all  the  nations.  Mr.  Demberg 
has  brought  twenty-four  nationalities  together  in  Philadelphia,  and  has 
given  a  cosmopolitan  concert  where  each  nationality  sings  its  own  songs, 
dances  its  own  folk  dances.  This  is  done  in  order  that  we  may  develop 
a  consciousness  on  the  part  of  all  that  every  nation  has  a  contribution  to 
make  to  civilization. 

Mr.  Palmer: 

A  large  number  of  people  here  perhaps  have  had  the  same  experience 
as  we  have  had.  that  when  we  made  advances  to  the  foreigners  with  well- 
intentioned  plans  for  Americanizing  them,  we  have  not  had  a  very  en- 
thusiastic response.  I  believe  that  everyone  will  agree  that  the  assimila- 
tion of  foreign  groups  requires  a  great  deal  of  patience  on  our  part.  We 
have  invited  the  foreign-speaking  groups  to  take  part  in  picnics  and  we. 
did  not  succeed  in  getting  them  the  first  year.  But  we  invited  them  again 
the  next  year.  All  of  us  must  understand  that  it  takes  time  for  the  for- 
eigners to  learn  what  our  motives  are  and  to  realize  that  we  are  well 
intentioned  when  we  make  these  overtures  to  them. 


16 


SATURDAY  MORNING,  AUGUST  28.  9:00  A.M. 
F.  J.  KiXGSBURV,  President,  Bridgeport  Brass  Company,  Presiding. 

The  theme,  "Mutual  Relations  in  Industry,"  was  to  have  been  pre- 
sented by  Mr.  John  Golden,  General  President,  United  Textile  Workers 
of  America. 

The  chairman  announced  that  Mr.  Golden  had  not  arrived  and  he  was 
at  a  loss  to  explain  his  absence.  The  engagement  was  definitely  made  and 
confirmed  by  Mr.  Golden,  and  no  information  had  been  received  con- 
cerning his  non-arrival. 

"Mutual  Relations  in  Industry" — L.  P.  Alford,  Editor,  Industrial 
^lanagement : 
If  Mr.  Golden  had  come  here  he  probably  would  have  presented  the 
position  of  the  trade-union  in  regard  to  mutuality.  In  his  absence  I  shall 
endeavor  to  state  the  essentials  of  the  trade-union  viewpoint,  those  of  the 
manufacturer,  and  to  turn  to  the  public's  interests  as  evidenced  by  a  few 
things  that  happened  last  year. 

Trade-Uxioxism. 

Last  December  ]\Ir.  Gompers  met  a  small  group  of  engineers  in  New 
York  City.  Three  men  then  present  are  in  the  audience  this  morning. 
He  had  been  attracted  by  some  of  the  statements  made  by  one  of  the  en- 
gineering societies.  ]\Iost  of  the  discussions  dealt  with  principles.  ]\Ir. 
Gompers  declared  for  the  principle  of  the  strike,  that  is,  that  the  worker 
has  the  inherent  right  to  strike,  providing  conditions  are  not  to  his  liking. 
Mr.  Gompers  recognized  that  the  employer  has  a  parallel  right  to  do 
business  or  to  cease  to  do  business  as  he  pleased.  When  he  was  asked 
about  a  third  point — that  of  the  right  of  the  public  to  have  industry  con- 
tinuously operated — he  would  not  commit  himself  fully,  and,  in  the  belief 
of  the  engineers,  clouded  his  opinion  in  a  mist  of  words.  He  admitted  the 
right  of  the  employe  to  strike,  of  the  employer  to  cease  to  operate,  but 
would  not  admit  a  right  of  the  public,  which  might  overshadow  the  rights 
of  the  other  two  opposing  forces. 

The  great  battles  of  labor  have  been  fought  mainly  over  two  issues — 
ivages  and  hours  of  labor.  The  individual  worker  is  in  a  much  weaker 
position  strategically  than  that  of  his  employer.  He  lacks  training,  ex- 
perience, breadth  of  viezv  and  vision.  He  has  no  opportunity  to  meet  his 
employer  as  mun  to  man,  and  cannot  bargain  on  an  equalitx.  The  trade- 
union  saw  that  some  agency  must  be  brought  in  to  strengthen  this  individ- 
ual worker,  and  to  assist  him  in  making  his  bargains,  and  now  says  that  it 
is  the  agency  which,  through  its  historical  experience,  is  in  a  position  to 
recognize  that  viewpoint  of  the  worker,  to  present  his  demands  and  needs 

17 


to  the  employer,  to  reach  a  conclusion,  and  to  bring  about  a  mutual  basis 
that  will  be  acceptable. 

The  strike  has  been  used  as  a  weapon  in  forcing  agreements.  It  has 
been  used  by  the  trade-unions  and  also,  many  times,  by  mob  action  bring- 
ing unauthorized  and  outlaw  strikes.  But  %ve  must  recognise  that  during 
the  period  of  struggle  betzveen  trade-union  and  employers  there  has  been 
a  steady  increase  in  zvages,  and  a  marked  improvement  in  the  working  and 
living  conditions  of  the  wage  earner. 

If  you  go  back  in  history  to  the  time  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  you  will  find 
the  requirement  on  the  statute  books  that  the  laborers  and  artisans  of 
Great  Britain  must  work  from  five  in  the  morning  until  eight  at  night, 
from  April  to  October,  with  two  and  a  half  hours  off  for  breakfast, 
dinner  and  drinking.  During  the  other  months  they  worked  from  sunrise 
to  sunset.  In  case  the  artisan  failed  to  work  he  had  to  forfeit  a  penny  to 
his  employer.  These  laws  codified  in  1662  must  have  had  the  sanction  of 
the  public  to  be  held  for  nearly  two  centuries.  What  a  great  change  for 
the  better  has  come,  brought  about  to  a  considerable  extent  by  the  fighting 
attitude  of  the  labor  unions,  supported  by  public  opinion. 

The  Manufacturer's  Viewpoint. 

Three  things  are  necessary  from  the  manufacturer' s  viezvpoint:  First, 
the  manufacturer  needs  a  dependable  supply  of  labor  upon  zvhich  he  can 
draw  and  with  which  he  can  m<ike  bargains  that  will  hold.  If  he  cannot 
do  this  he  is  in  serious  difficulty  in  making  contracts  zvith  his  customers. 
Second,  he  needs  somebody  or  some  organisation,  zvith  zvhom  he  can 
negotiate,  zvho  has  responsibility  to  accept  a  contract,  and  zvho  zvhen  it  is 
accepted  zmll  stick  to  it.  And,  third,  he  requires  that  the  individuality  of 
his  zvorking  people  shall  not  be  invaded,  so  that  they  shall  have  full  pozver 
for  the  development  of  themselves  and  their  self-expression. 

In  working  toward  the  satisfying  of  these  three  needs,  during  the  last 
two  or  three  years  there  has  grown  up  in  the  United  States  about  three 
hundred  examples  of  what  are  called  shop  councils,  or  employes'  com- 
mittees. Most  of  them  are  in  the  larger  industries  to  be  sure,  but 
nevertheless  there  are  three  hundred  of  these  attempts  to  establish  a  basis 
of  mutuality. 

The  Public's  Attitude. 

The  public  demand  is  simple, — it  is  for  service.  It  demands  that  the 
great  industries  of  this  country  shall  continue  to  operate.  If  modern 
industry  breaks  down,  the  civilization  of  today  will  break  down,  for  we 
are  living  in  an  industrial  civilization.  Industry  must  be  carried  on,  must 
continue  to  operate,  and  mutual  relations  must  continue,  or  we  all  suffer. 

18 


Light  on  this  subject  is  brought  out  by  three  things  that  happened  last 
year.  First,  the  strike  of  the  Boston  pohce.  The  Boston  pohce  went  out, 
the  National  Guard  came  in.  backed  by  public  opinion,  and  remained  for 
several  months  until  the  Police  Department  could  be  rebuilt.  Second, 
the  coal  strike  of  the  Kansas  miners  brought  out  15,000  men,  including 
manv  college  students,  who  volunteered  to  operate  the  mines.  Third,  the 
outlaw  strike  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York,  a  few  months  ago,  caused 
hundreds  of  young  men  to  volunteer  to  work  on  the  locomotives  and  in 
the  yards,  in  order  that  traffic  might  be  kept  going  and  the  suffering  of  the 
people  might  be  minimized.  In  these  emergencies  the  public  brushed 
aside  the  ordinary  agencies,  which  had  been  operating  these  three  essen- 
tial industries,  and  operated  them  themselves. 

As  a  result  of  the  situation  in  Kansas  we  have  the  Kansas  Industrial 
Court,  which  was  brought  into  being  through  the  leadership  of  Governor 
Allen,  whereby  both  employers  and  workers  are  prohibited  from  shutting 
down  the  industries  of  that  state,  provided  public  interests  are  threatened. 

Another  event  of  last  year  zvas  the  meeting  of  the  President's  Second 
Industrial  Conference.  It  declared  for  the  principle  of  voluntary  arbi- 
tration, and  outlined  machinery  for  bringing  that  arbitration  into  effect, 
thereby  establishing  the  basis  of  reaching  mutual  relations  in  American 
industry  by  using  only  one  tveapon,  public  opinion. 

There  are  among  consulting  engineers  those  wdio  say  that  two-thirds, 
or  three-fourths,  of  the  responsibility  for  present  conditions  rests  upon 
the  shoulders  of  employers  and  managers  in  industry,  that  is,  upon  the 
men  who  are  at  the  head  of  our  great  industries.  The  responsibility  is 
upon  the  managers  because  they  are  in  a  position  of  strength ;  they  are 
men  of  wider  education,  of  broader  vision. 

The  Engineer's  Viewpoint. 

I  turn  now  to  the  development  of  the  point  of  view  of  the  engineer. 
\\'hat  is  the  objective  of  industry?  What  is  industry  for?  We  are  told 
industry  exists  to  make  men.  We  had  men  before  we  had  industry. 
Trade-union  activities  indicate  that  workers  believe  that  industry  exists 
to  pay  wages.  Many  employers  say  that  industries  are  to  produce  profits. 
The  engineer  says  civilization  rests  upon  industry.  People  must  have 
manufactured  goods,  therefore  the  great  objective  of  industry  is  the  pro- 
duction of  goods.  If  that  is  the  objective  of  industry,  all  of  the  agencies 
of  productivity  must  be  directed  toward  that  one  aim,  which,  essentially, 
is  a  service  aim.  The  particular  motive  the  engineers  of  today  are  empha- 
sising is  service.  Listen  to  this  statement  by  Mr.  C.  E.  Knoeppel,  one  of 
our  great  industrial  engineers:    "In  the  last  analysis,  all  business  and  in- 

19 


dustrial  activities  are  for  the  public  service.  All  products  of  industry  are 
for  the  direct  or  indirect  use  of  the  people  of  the  country.  Service  to  the 
community  is  no  less  an  obligation  on  the  part  of  labor  than  on  the  part 
of  management  and  capital.  Service  at  a  profit,  not  profit  alone,  is  to  be 
the  motive  in  the  nezv  order  of  things." 

Appreciate  the  significance  of  this  clear  statement,  written  by  Mr. 
H.  L.  Gantt,  last  fall  just  before  his  death :  "We  have  proof,  in  many 
places,  that  the  doctrine  of  service,  which  has  been  preached  in  the 
churches  as  religion,  is  not  only  good  economics  and  eminently  practicable, 
but  because  of  the  increased  production  of  goods  obtained  by  it,  promises 
to  lead  us  safely  through  the  maze  of  confusion,  into  zvhich  tve  seem  to  be 
headed,  and  to  give  us  that  industrial  democracy  zvhich  alone  can  afford 
a  basis  for  industrial  peace." 

For  the  last  two  years  there  has  been  a  desire  to  develop  an  all-embrac- 
ing engineering  organization.  On  the  third  and  fourth  of  last  June  in 
Washington  there  was  held  a  meeting  participated  in  by  representatives 
of  seventy-one  engineering  societies.  One  hundred  and  fifteen  organiza- 
tions with  some  150,000  members  were  asked  to  send  delegates.  The 
seventy-one  responding  included  ninety  per  cent  of  the  total  membership 
of  the  entire  group.  The  first  item  of  business,  after  the  preliminaries  of 
organization,  was  to  introduce  a  resolution  declaring,  that  if  this  nezv 
organisation  should  come  into  being  it  should  be  for  service  alone.  Quite 
naturally,  the  opposing  view  was  brought  into  the  discussion,  that  of  in- 
creasing the  salaries  of  engineers  and  securing  better  working  conditions. 
After  tzvo  hours  of  debate  not  a  dissenting  vote  zvas  recorded  against  the 
service  basis. 

From  that  meeting  came  a  new  definition  of  engineering:  "Engineer- 
ing is  the  science  of  controlling  the  forces  and  of  utilising  the  materials 
of  nature  for  the  benefit  of  man,  and  the  art  of  organising  and  of  direct- 
ing human  activities  in  connection  therezinth.  As  service  to  others  is  the 
expression  of  the  highest  motive  to  which  men  respond  and  as  a  duty  to 
contribute  to  the  public  welfare  demands  the  best  efforts  men  can  put 
forth,  NOW,  THEREFORE,  the  engineering  and  allied  technical  socie- 
ties of  the  United  States  of  America,  through  the  formation  of  The  Fed- 
erated American  Engineering  Societies,  realize  a  long-cherished  ideal,  a 
comprehensive  organization  dedicated  to  the  service  of  the  community, 
state  and  nation." 

That  is  the  crux  of  the  engineering  viewpoint  today,  as  expressed 
through  the  act  of  this  professional  organization.  The  engineer  is  offering 
it  as  his  contribution  to  the  solution  of  the  problem  of  establishing  a  basis 
of  mutual  relationship  as  the  motive  which  should  inspire  the  carrying 
on  of  industry.    To  that  he  is  adding  the  engineering  attitude  of  willing, 

20 


eager  obedience  to  natural  law  and  the  engineer  method  of  attack,  which 
is  based  upon  known  facts.  First  detcniiine  zvhat  is  so,  eliminate  chance, 
get  dozen  to  basic  facts,  and  upon  these  facts  establish  your  decision.  The 
engineer  believes  that  once  that  attitude  is  created  there  will  have  been 
laid  the  foundation  for  zvorking  out  our  present  conditions.  But  he  has 
no  thought  for  immediate  results,  though  he  keeps  in  mind  that  great 
promise — "Behold,  I  make  all  things  new." 

Discussion. 

E.  H.  Betts,  President,  Earl  &  Wilson  Company,  Troy,  N.  Y. : 

Last  year  I  made  up  a  beautiful  collection  of  welfare  work  pamphlets, 
telling  what  other  companies  were  doing  along  welfare  lines.  Next  day 
I  went  to  a  meeting  addressed  by  a  woman  and  heard  her  refer  to  welfare 
as  "hellfare."  I  took  the  collection  with  me  but  did  not  have  as  much 
confidence  in  the  pamphlets  as  when  I  collected  them.  I  went  to  another 
meeting  addressed  by  Mr.  Calder  where  he  remarked  "there  are  no  pink 
pills  for  pale  industry."  /  cannot  take  anyone's  zi'elfare  zcork  out  of  his 
plant  and  use  it  in  the  company  in  zvhich  I  am  interested.  We  must  have 
our  ozvn.  We  cannot  take  our  mutual  relations  out  of  a  box,  but  zue  can 
take  them  out  of  our  hearts.    We  have  got  to  take  them  out  of  our  brain. 

We  had  four  or  five  representatives  from  Troy  at  last  year's  confer- 
ence. This  year  zee  have  fifty.  We  were  sold  on  the  Silver  Bay  idea. 
Last  year's  conference  kept  working  up  to  the  idea  of  the  Golden  Rule  in 
industry.  This  year  Mr.  Fred  B.  Smith  advanced  the  Golden  Rule  idea  in 
the  very  first  address  that  was  made. 

Last  year  the  American  Industries  Quartet  was  with  us,  as  it  is  again 
now.  I\Ir.  Clarence  Howard,  president  of  the  Commonwealth  Steel  Com- 
pany, made  this  remark :  "They  got  our  conference  to  singing ;  I  believe 
they  can  get  our  industries  to  singing."  So  they  started  out  on  the  road. 
They  came  to  Troy  and  worked  hard  for  a  week.  Our  experience  at  the 
first  noonday  meeting  in  our  factory  was  interesting.  I  am  the  third 
generation  in  our  plant  and  we  had  never  had  a  noonday  social  meeting 
until  the  Quartet  came.  The  Quartet  made  a  hit.  Our  factory  men 
wanted  more.  That  afternoon  the  girls  came  down  and  wanted  to  organ- 
ize a  sing  every  week.  This  was  done  and  is  being  continued  regularly. 
One  of  the  foremen  said,  "This  recreational  singing  has  greased  the 
wheels  again  and  the  work  has  gone  along  better  than  I  have  seen  it  in 
many  a  month."  We  never  could  have  put  this  over  on  them.  It  was 
spontaneous ! 

A  number  of  interested  men  met  early  in  the  fall  and  decided  to  sug- 
gest that  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  in  Troy  employ  an  Industrial  Extension  Secre- 

21 


\ 


I 


tary.  The  Association  very  graciously  said,  "We  will  be  happy  to  do  so 
if  you  will  pay  the  bill."  We  had  no  trouble  financing  the  undertaking. 
In  the  extension  work  of  the  Association  nobody  is  asked  to  give ;  they  are 
asked  to  take  a  share  in  the  investment.  Out  of  that  have  come  splendid 
results. 

Mr.  Smith  said  any  company  which  did  not  have  organized  shop  com- 
mittees was  a  back  number.  If  they  work  more  than  forty-eight  hours 
they  are  behind  the  times.  I  represent  a  back  number.  We  work  fifty 
and  a  half  hours.  We  haven't  mueh  machinery  in  our  industrial  rela- 
tions; the  basis  is  an  honest-to-goodness,  common-sense  employment  man- 
ager. All  doors  to  executive  offices  are  wide  open.  Suggestions  are  i)i- 
vited  and  are  freely  given.  We  employ  i,ooo  people.  We  have  happy 
family  relationships  in  our  factory,  and  we  are  not  alone  in  Troy  in  this 
happy  condition. 

It  is  the  spirit  that  counts;  the  machinery  is  of  second  importance.  I 
do  not  care  what  scheme  of  zvelfare  zvork  is  introduced,  hozuever  good; 
if  the  spirit  behind  it  is  not  right,  it  might  better  be  left  out.  If  we  do  not 
take  home  from  Silver  Bay  the  spirit  of  inspiration  we  will  have  missed 
something  that  would  have  contributed  to  the  success  of  industry.  And 
if  we  cannot  go  home  and  interpret  that  high  spirit — the  spirit  of  stew- 
ardship of  property,  the  spirit  of  true  brotherhood, — then  I  say  we  are 
heading  toward  anything  but  success  in  industry. 

I  read  in  the  newspapers  about  the  woolen  mills  of  New  England  shut- 
ting down,  shoe  factories  working  on  part  time,  automobile  business  quiet, 
and  help  becoming  more  efficient  because  there  are  two  men  for  each  job. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  many  working  people  have  become  narrow  and 
inefficient  and  selfish,  but  just  as  many  employers  in  the  past  have  suc- 
cumbed to  the  same  vices.  The  reactionaries  are  saying  that  labor  has  had 
its  turn  and  now  it  is  our  turn.  You  will  see  the  type  of  man  who  snaps 
his  teeth  like  a  steel  trap  and  says,  "We  will  show  them !"  It  is  a  wrong 
attitude,  an  attitude  that  will  bring  trouble.  I  appeal  to  every  manager 
here  to  be  on  his  guard  lest,  if  opportunity  present,  that  spirit  creep  into 
his  organization, — that  spirit  of  getting  back  at  labor,  of  retaliation.  Be- 
ware! beware  of  it,  not  only  in  your  own  minds,  but  in  those  of  your 
superintendents  and  other  men  in  your  industry. 

/  want  to  say  to  the  workers  here,  do  not  seek  your  employment  on  the 
basis  of  where  you  can  get  the  most  money  the  first  week,  but  remember 
that  that  industry  is  sound  zuhich  is  just  in  its  labor  policy,  and  you  zirill 
be  financially  better  off.  To  stockholders  and  directors  and  men  who  have 
responsibilities  of  that  kind,  be  sure  that  your  managers  are  liberal,  and 
forzvard  looking.  Business  must  be  profitable  if  it  is  to  continue,  but  let 
us  also  bear  in  mind  that  our  investment  is  safest  in  the  industry  that  is 

22 


represented  by  management  which  is  based  upon  the  conception  of  bring- 
ing the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  to  pass  here  and  now.  The  management  that 
upholds  reason  and  justice  has  the  confidence  and  not  the  suspicion  of  the 
worker. 

F.  J.  Kingsbury,  President,  Bridgeport  Brass  Company : 

I  have  always  felt  that  "welfare"  was  an  unfortunate  term.  The  work- 
men do  not  like  it.  They  want  to  avoid  anything  that  savors  of  paternal- 
ism. The  best  substitute  I  have  found  is  "social  service,"  which  is 
broader. 

No  matter  zvhat  the  plan  is  that  you  introduce  in  industry  for  paving 
your  zca\  to  closer  relations,  unless  the  management  back  of  it  is  abso- 
lutely sincere,  I  do  not  think  it  is  going  to  be  a  success.  You  must  really 
feel  it  in  your  heart ;  you  must  place  yourself  in  the  attitude  that  you  want 
to  get  next  to  the  fellows  and  give  them  every  opportunity  for  develop- 
ment. When  we  speak  of  the  Golden  Rule,  we  are  really  talking  about 
religion.  There  are  many  people  in  industry  who  believe  in  religion  but 
who  are  afraid  to  say  so.  One  reason  is  they  have  looked  upon  religion 
as  something  sanctimonious.  I  am  much  interested  to  see  by  the  news- 
papers that  they  are  beginning  to  appreciate  that  we  have  got  to  have  re- 
ligion back  of  all  these  efforts  before  we  are  successful  in  getting  real 
industrial  harmony.    Note  this  recent  editorial : 

The  world  is  sick.  No  wonder.  Billions  of  dollars'  worth  of 
actual  values  destroyed.  Twenty  millions  and  more  of  human  lives 
either  destroyed  or  made  incapable  for  full  production.  No  man  can 
go  on  a  spree,  and  annul  for  a  period  the  laws  of  health,  without 
suffering.  The  world  has  been  on  a  spree,  and  its  morning-after  con- 
sequences are  truly  frightful. 

But  there  is  a  specific  for  almost  every  disease.  The  cure  of  a 
sick  world  lies  in  one  thing.     It  is  this — unrestricted  production. 

And  while  that  is  only  one  thing  needful,  it  actually  implies  a  lot 
of  remedies.  Unrestricted  production  in  every  line  means  honest 
Americans  at  work  for  the  common  good.  It  means  honest  miners 
and  mechanics  and  honest  operators  and  employers.  Unrestricted 
production  means  efficiency.  High  cost  of  production  is  not  infre- 
quently due  to  the  archaic  methods  of  getting  out  the  goods. 

Unrestricted  production  means  sacrifice.  The  law  of  supply  and 
demand  will  send  down  prices  if  the  supply  is  increased.  But  the 
sacrifice  that  this  entails  on  one  will  be  gain  for  all,  and  from  the  sum 
total  of  sacrifice  we  will  all  benefit.  As  increased  wages  do  not 
materially  benefit  those  who  receive  them,  so  lowered  prices  will  not 
materially  harm  us.    Quite  the  opposite. 

The  cure  then  of  world  ills  is  in  these  three  things  that  must  be 
in  the  heart  of  a  man  before  unrestricted  production  can  take  place. 
Until  we  Americans  are  honest,  highly  capable  and  willing  to  count 

23 


the  general  good  above  our  own  personal  good,  we  shall  continue  to 
suffer  the  evil  consequences  of  our  spree. 

One  might  almost  say  the  cure  of  the  zvorld  lies  zvith  religion. 
For  honesty  implies  morality  and  efficiency  implies  high  ethical  stand- 
ards, while  sacrifice  for  the  comm,on  good  implies  faith. 

The  cure  then  is  religion.  Not  your  religion  or  mine,  or  the  reli- 
gion of  the  people  in  some  other  land.  But  simply  religion,  "betting 
your  life  there  is  a  God,"  as  Donald  Hankey  said. 

Recently  I  spoke  before  two  hundred  foremen  representing  the  Stand- 
ard Oil  Company,  the  Bethlehem  Shipbuilding  Company,  and  a  number 
of  other  large  corporations.  After  the  meeting  a  foreman  of  the  Stand- 
ard Oil  Company  said  to  me  that  he  was  interested  in  what  I  had  said 
regarding  the  position  of  foremen  in  industry.  He  said :  "The  other 
day  a  man  was  sent  from  the  Employment  Department  and  said  he  had 
come  to  work  for  me.  I  replied :  'You  have  made  a  mistake.  I  want  to 
have  you  understand  that  you  have  not  come  to  work  for  me  but  with 
me.'  "  That  little  word  tmth  is  going  to  make  a  difference  in  the  relation- 
ship in  any  plant.  What  the  industrial  work  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  had  done 
in  that  corporation  was  really  to  make  that  man  understand  the  difference 
of  attitude.  If  we  can  introduce  that  spirit  in  the  factory,  we  can  solve 
a  great  many  of  our  difficulties. 

President  Hadley  of  Yale  said  to  his  1920  graduating  class :  "We  shall 
go  into  business  to  win  success  according  to  the  measure  of  our  ability. 
By  the  objects  we  pursue  and  the  success  we  achieve,  we  shall  help  to 
determine  the  ideals  of  our  associates.  What  is  the  standard  of  our  suc- 
cess,— money,  ambition  or  service?  If  we  are  pursuing  money,  the  fea- 
tures will  be  those  of  Satan.  We  shall  probably  object  to  the  label,  but 
the  underlying  fact  will  remain.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  we  measure  suc- 
cess in  terms  of  service,  and  value  money  or  power  chiefly  as  means  to 
do  larger  service,  the  features  will  be  those  of  the  Son  of  God." 

The  Bridgeport  Brass  Company  has  worked  out  a  plan  of  industrial 
relationship  quite  similar  to  that  of  the  Standard  Oil  Company.  I  always 
felt  that  our  previous  tzvo  years'  work  with  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  made  it  easier 
to  introduce  this  plan.  If  %vc  had  not  had  this  preliminary  work  I  think 
it  would  have  been  more  difficult  to  arrive  at  the  proper  basis  "with  our 
people.  When  we  introduced  this  plan  the  men  knezv  zue  were  sincere. 
Our  desire  was  to  restore  in  our  plant  the  same  relationship  that  existed 
forty  or  fifty  years  ago  between  employer  and  employe.  It  is  almost  im- 
possible for  officials  to  know  their  men  personally.  There  are  many  men 
in  the  office  whom  one  knows  by  sight  but  one  does  not  know  their  names. 
If  you  cannot  even  know  all  the  men  in  the  office,  what  about  a  plant 
where  over  2,000  men  are  employed?  We  are  trying  to  give  the  employes 
an  opportunity  for  individual  expression  and  representation.     A  great 

24 


many  people  have  said  that  this  plan  of  industrial  relationship  takes  away 
from  the  efficiency  of  the  foremen.  On  the  contrary  the  foremen  like  it, 
and  their  efficiency  has  been  increased. 

The  introduction  to  our  manual  covering  our  activities  and  given  each 
new  man  reads  as  follows : 

'Tn  order  to  play  any  game  you  must  first  have  directions  as  to  how  to 
play  it.  This  little  book  is  merely  a  guide  to  show  us  how  to  play  this 
game  of  getting  together.  The  object  is  to  make  our  relations  harmonious 
and  more  intimate — all  based  on  a  square  deal  for  everyone;  to  make 
each  and  every  man  and  woman  feel  that  they  have  an  opportunity  for 
self-expression,  with  a  fair  hearing  on  any  subject  that  may  better  their 
conditions  or  surroundings,  or  that  would  be  of  assistance  to  the  com- 
pany. It  is  only  with  a  sincere  feeling  of  cooperation  one  with  another 
that  the  success  of  the  company  will  be  assured,  thereby  enabling  us  to 
extend  benefits  to  all  those  interested  in  its  welfare." 

Mr,  Robert  H.  Booth,  Bridgeport  Brass  Company: 

A  prominent  speaker  has  said  within  the  last  few  months  that  zi'hat 
industry  needs  is  education  and  leadership, — education  for  the  executives 
and  leadership  for  the  workers.  I  think  one  of  the  direct  reasons  for  the 
success  that  we  feel  has  thus  far  attended  our  eflForts  in  the  operation  of 
the  shop  committee  plan  in  our  plants,  is  due  to  the  fact  that  at  all  of  our 
meetings  everything  possible  is  done  to  foster  these  necessary  qualities  of 
education  and  leadership. 

About  two  years  ago,  when  the  armistice  was  signed,  it  was  necessary 
for  the  industries  to  make  very  sharp  readjustments  in  their  manufactur- 
ing programs  and  methods.  In  our  plants  we  were  faced  with  the  same 
condition  that  faced  the  rest,  but  because  we  had  a  method  of  easy  com- 
munication with  the  zvorkers  of  the  plant,  through  our  shop  committee 
organisation,  we  were  able  to  get  together  and  go  over  the  situation. 
Because  the  workers  of  the  plants  had  confidence  in  the  leadership  of  the 
officers  of  the  company,  from  the  president  to  the  general  manager  and 
right  through  the  organization,  we  were  able  to  secure  their  cooperation 
and  help  in  the  program  proposed,  which  was  to  maintain,  or  increase 
wherever  possible,  the  efficiency  of  the  operation  of  the  plants  in  order 
that  wages  might  be  maintained  on  the  then  existing  schedule. 

During  the  war  the  city  in  which  our  principal  plants  are  located,  earned 
a  very  unenviable  and,  incidentally,  a  very  much  undeserved  reputation 
for  industrial  chaos. 

There  w^ere  other  companies  in  neighboring  cities,  that,  until  after  the 
armistice,  had  not  experienced  the  same  troubles  which  we  had  been 
through  in  Bridgeport  during  the  war.    These  adopted  different  industrial 

25 


policies  from  ours  during  readjustment.  The  contact  of  the  management 
and  workers  was  not  so  close  in  those  organizations  as  in  ours,  therefore 
the  understanding  between  them  was  not  so  well  established.  At  one 
time  after  the  armistice,  there  were  over  ten  thousand  people  on  strike  in 
different  industries    in  Bridgeport  and  vicinity. 

In  the  midst  of  this  trouble  our  organization  got  together  and  we  were 
able,  by  talking  over  our  common  problems,  to  make  a  strike  unnecessary 
in  our  plants.  The  testimony  of  the  men  themselves,  on  that  and  sub- 
sequent occasions,  zvas  unanimous  to  the  effect  that  our  plan  of  mutually 
settling  difficulties  that  confront  employers  and  employes,  zvithout  the 
attendant  hard  feeling  and  bitterness,  or  any  financial  loss  to  cither  side, 
was  much  preferable  to  the  other  method  of  sitting  tight  and  fighting  it 
out  on  the  old  lines. 

Mutual  relationship  is  almost  necessarily  going  to  be  Jiuman  relation- 
ship because  you  cannot  be  uncivil  and  abusive  to  a  man  who  is  talking  to 
you  in  a  straight  man-to-man  fashion  about  a  mutual  problem. 

Industry  has  got  to  give  more  service  to  those  who  participate  in  the 
operation  of  the  plants  than  it  has  heretofore  given.  I  do  not  mean 
necessarily  in  the  way  of  recreation  and  athletics,  but  I  do  mean  in  the 
interest-creating  methods  which  result  in  the  development  of  the  char- 
acter of  the  workers.  The  recreational  features  of  the  industrial  life  in 
our  plants  are  handled  by  the  Y.  ]\I.  C.  A.  Industrial  Department.  IVe 
are  not  doing  "zvclfare  zvork"  in  our  plants.  We  do,  through  the  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  Industrial  Department,  a  certain  amount  of  "social  service  ivork," 
not  for  the  men  but  with  the  men  and  by  the  men.  This  results  in  con- 
structive character  development.  The  men  concerned  share  in  the  respon- 
sibility very  gladly,  and  this  mutual  common  responsibility  takes  away  all 
the  odium  that  is  commonly  attached  to  the  word  "Welfare." 

I  feel  that  in  order  to  make  any  plan  of  personal  contact  successful, 
the  workers  have  got  to  have  a  sense  of  responsibility  for  the  results. 
In  our  organization,  information  regarding  the  conduct  of,  and  results 
from  the  operation  of  the  business,  is  given  the  workers.  By  giving  to 
any  average  man  full  information,  you  arouse  his  interest  and,  in  turn, 
he  will  begin  to  assume  responsibility  for  execution  of  constructive  plans, 
but  the  employers  of  the  country  must  always  assume  the  responsibility 
for  wise  leadership. 

General  Discussion. 

Mr.  Hugo  Diemer,  Personnel  Manager,  Winchester  Repeating  Arms 
Company : 
Our  company  has  11,000  employes.     Of  the  5,500  we  had  a  year  ago 
four  hundred  and  seventy-six  had  been  with  the  company  over  twenty- 

26 


five  years;  over  2,000  had  been  with  the  company  over  five  years,  which 
means  that  nearly  one-half  of  the  employes  had  been  with  the  company 
five  years  or  over.  Our  employes  have  every  opportunity  for  self- 
expression  in  their  social  and  athletic  activities.  There  is  a  family  spirit. 
Before  the  shop  committee  idea  had  received  a  great  impulse,  we  had  a 
system  of  what  are  called  personnel  representatives.  We  have  several  in 
our  plant,  and  one  man  in  the  office  who  listens  to  all  complaints  and  sug- 
gestions, and  who  also  holds  a  court  of  industrial  relations. 

Prof.  E.  J.  Kunze,  Pennsylvania  State  College : 

We  are  living  in  a  state  of  transition,  and  I  think  that  most  of  us  are 
impatient.  We  have  gone  through  four  periods :  first, — when  labor  was 
actually  done  by  slaves ;  second, — the  period  of  early  apprenticeship  in 
England,  when  the  apprentice  worked  for  his  master,  and  during  his  off 
hours  brought  the  coal,  shined  his  boots,  etc. ;  third, — when  labor  was  con- 
sidered a  commodity  by  the  economists ;  fourth, — and  now,  when  labor 
wishes  to  be  considered  as  blood  and  bone,  heart  and  soul,  a  part  of  the 
industry.  That  is  the  thing  we  are  leading  to.  We  speak  of  labor ;  we 
are  all  laborers ;  we  are  all  producers,  if  we  look  at  it  in  the  right  way. 

In  dealing  with  men,  whether  as  help  in  the  factory,  or  as  subordinate 
executives,  the  following  rules  have  been  found  to  be  very  efifective : 

1.  Be  fair.  Consider  all  matters  on  their  face  value, — on  the  basis 
of  fact. 

2.  Never  ask  a  subordinate  to  do  that  which  you  would  not  yourself 
do  willingly  under  similar  circumstances. 

3.  Do  not  be  familiar  with  subordinates,  but  be  courteous,  frank  and 
businesslike  in  your  dealings. 

4.  Do  not  overpraise,  but  always  recognize  a  duty  well  done. 

5.  If  a  mistake  is  made  by  a  subordinate,  do  not  reprimand  for  the 
first  ofifense,  but  explain  error  and  how  to  avoid  similar  difficulties. 

6.  If  a  mistake  is  made  repeatedly,  discharge,  or  better,  transfer  the 
man  after  due  warning. 

7.  Never  "bawl  out"  a  man  in  the  presence  of  others  nor  belittle  him. 
Speak  to  him  privately,  as  man  to  man,  in  a  businesslike  manner. 

8.  Do  not  discourage  the  ofifering  of  suggestions.  The  men  want  to 
feel  that  they  are  a  part  of  the  organization  and  that  their  ideas 
will  receive  just  and  interested  treatment  by  the  management. 

9.  If  a  subordinate  is  to  be  held  responsible  for  the  exercise  of  a  cer- 
tain duty,  he  should  be  given  sufficient  authority,  clearly  defined, 
to  enable  him  to  freely  carry  out  that  duty. 

10.  When  a  subordinate  executive  has  been  placed  in  charge  of  some 
branch  of  the  work,  never  take  up  any  matters  directly  with  his 
men,  but  transact  all  business  through  him. 

11.  Back  subordinates  in  their  decision;  if  possible,  never  overrule. 

12.  Avoid  the  "I"  disease.  Make  your  organization  a  "WE"  organiza- 
tion.    Emphasize  the  "Organization."     Work  for  its  betterment. 

27 


13.  To  secure  healthy  cooperation,  let  the  man  add  something  of  him- 
self to  your  project — some  idea  or  suggestion.  It  will  then  become 
to  a  limited  extent,  at  least,  a  creature  of  the  man's  mind. 

14.  Have  your  men  work  ivith  you  rather  than  for  you. 

15.  If  you  expect  to  get  any  real  work  done — be  there  yourself. 

16.  Let  your  men  know  that  you  work  harder  than  they  do,  and  do  it. 

17.  Men  are  far  more  cheerful  if  they  know  they  are  systematically, 
openly  and  justly  checked. 

18.  If  a  man  is  really  dissatisfied  with  his  job  and  cannot  be  reconciled, 
transfer  him,  or,  if  necessary,  discharge  him. 

Mr.  A.  H.  Morey,  Commonwealth  Steel  Company : 

We  think  of  human  engineering  as  the  very  apex  of  engineering  art. 
We  use  the  word  "fellowship,"  and  dislike  the  word  "welfare."  When 
we  consider  it  Americanism,  I  think  we  get  a  different  viewpoint.  Real 
Americanism  means  opportunity  for  every  individual  to  develop.  I  be- 
lieve we  have  2,400  men  in  one  plant,  including  twenty-four  nationalities. 
In  the  average  American  there  is  a  deep  tone  of  sincerity.  He  may  be 
mistaken  or  ignorant,  but  is  sincere,  and  as  long  as  we  preserve  our  sin- 
cerity, America  is  all  right.  When  I  talk  with  the  humblest  foreigner, 
the  workman  or  the  craftsman,  I  find  that  we  are  all  fundamentally  alike. 
If,  without  condescension,  we  can  put  ourselves  on  the  same  basis  with 
all  men  it  gives  us  an  entirely  different  attitude.  We  can  see  in  all  men  a 
likeness  and  a  desire  to  get  more  light,  and  we  see  men  responding  to  it. 
America  is  safe  and  sound  because  we  have  a  principle  here  that  we  are 
all  working  for. 

Mr.  Robert  MacArthur,  Geometric  Tool  Company : 

Because  men  such  as  are  here  today  talk  of  the  Golden  Rule,  I  have 
confidence  and  new  hope.  We  have  a  shop  paper  which  we  call  Com- 
rade, and  emphasize  that  word.  I  have  heard  it  expressed  that  a  reli- 
gious man  cannot  hold  a  position  in  a  factory.  He  carries  a  Bible  in  one 
hand  and  an  axe  in  the  other.  If  we  know  how  to  use  both  we  shall  get 
along  fine. 

Mr.  J.  A.  McDonald,  Arlington  Mills : 

Let  us  not  forget  that  important  group  of  men,  the  foremen  and  sub- 
foremen  in  our  industries.  It  is  a  fine  thing  that  so  many  men  are  study- 
ing the  problems  of  industry,  whether  engineers  or  employment  man- 
agers. I  want  to  beg  you  not  to  forget  that  in  the  mills  and  shops  of  this 
country  there  are  thousands  of  men  who  have  spent  their  lives  in  getting 
training  and  experience  that  some  of  us  can  never  have.  Don't  forget 
to  use  them.     If  you  will  keep  close  to  your  foremen,  subforemen  and 

28 


overseers,  get  them  together,  and  get  into  their  minds  what  should  be 
done,  you  can  put  this  thing  over  ! 

Mr.  Richard  B.  Carter,  President,  Carter's  Ink  Company : 

I  understand  mutuality  to  indicate  evenness  and  equality.  I  understand 
that  we  must  recognize  that  those  of  us  who  are  on  the  employing  side 
must  go  more  than  halfway.  We  are  accustomed  to  think  of  lawyers, 
capitalists  and  employers  as  constituting  a  combination  of  brains  and 
wealth.  We  have  got  to  admit  the  idea  that  has  come  down  from  the 
days  of  chivalry — "noblesse  oblige." 

Mr.  Everett  E.  Lord,  Special  Detail  Engineer,  Sargent  &  Company : 

There  are  fifty-seven  varieties  of  religion.     There  is  only  one  variety 

of  righteousness.     If  I  were  permitted  to  suggest  a  characterization  for 

this  conference  it  would  be,  "the  spirit  of  service  through  righteousness." 

EVENING  SESSION 
J.  Parke  Channing,  Vice  President,  Miami  Copper  Company,  Presiding. 

"The  Engineer" — Sam  A.  Lewisohn,  Adolph  Lewisohn  &  Sons : 

This  morning,  ]\Ir.  Alford  touched  on  the  engineer's  relation  to  industry 
in  its  wider  aspects.  I  shall  devote  myself  to  the  engineer's  possibilities 
as  industrial  administrator,  and  shall  take  as  my  text  the  statement  of  a 
man  who  is  not  only  an  eminent  member  of  the  engineering  profession, 
but  also  one  of  the  greatest  administrators  and  economic  authorities  of 
our  time. 

Herbert  Hoover,  in  his  "Principles  of  Mining,"  published  over  ten 
years  ago,  said  that  the  engineer  has  become  "the  buffer  between  capital 
and  labor."  This  is  true  of  the  graduate  of  a  Massachusetts  textile  school 
who  becomes  superintendent  of  a  cotton  mill,  and  it  is  true  of  an  electrical 
engineer  who  becomes  the  chief  executive  head  of  one  of  the  large  elec- 
trical companies,  or  operating  manager  of  one  of  its  plants.  This  has 
come  about  because  of  the  divorce,  in  recent  years,  in  a  large  number  of 
establishments,  between  financial  control  and  management.  As  a  result 
the  executive  positions  have  become  occupied  to  a  large  extent  by  sal- 
aried men,  and  owing  to  the  preponderance  of  the  technical  problems  in- 
volved in  modern  industry,  these  salaried  executives  are  very  often  en- 
gineers in  the  broadest  sense  of  that  term.  In  many  cases  these  include 
the  heads  of  large  organizations,  and  foremen  who  are  also  to  a  large 
extent  recruited  from  among  graduates  of  technical  schools.  It  is  most 
often  true,  however,  as  to  the  operating  managers  and  superintendents 
of  local  plants. 

29 


We  have  heard  much  of  absentee  landlordship,  but  we  are  not  getting 
very  far  by  approaching  the  subject  in  a  morahstic  or  melodramatic 
fashion  with  the  absentee  landlord  staged  as  the  villain.  The  owners  and 
directors  are  in  charge  of  finance  because  this  is  their  specialty,  and  they 
are  reluctant  to  interfere  in  labor  problems  just  as  they  are  to  interfere 
in  technical  problems.  It  is  not  because  of  lack  of  human  sympathy  or 
understanding  on  their  part,  but  rather  because  adherence  to  such  special- 
isation seems  best  for  effective  administration. 

The  question  of  wholesome  relations  between  management  and  men — 
and  this  is  an  important  part  of  the  so-called  labor  problem — depends 
therefore  largely  on  the  quality  of  local  management  afforded.  There  is 
no  reason,  however,  why  the  salaried  engineer-manager  should  not  be  as 
skillful  in  approaching  this  problem  as  the  old-fashioned  owner-manager. 
In  contrast  with  the  narrow  specialist  too  often  turned  out  by  our  tech- 
nical institutions — men  dehumanized  by  the  very  intensity  of  their  appli- 
cation to  routine  duties — ^the  owner-manager  was  more  human,  and  more 
a  man  of  the  world.  For  example,  we  had  men  like  Mark  Hanna,  who 
the  record  shows,  contrary  to  popular  conception,  was  most  liberal  in  the 
treatment  of  his  employes.  He  was  the  type  who  maintained  close  per- 
sonal relations  with  his  men.  Indeed  many  of  his  men  have  testified  that 
he  would  allow  his  street  railway  employes  to  see  him  when  he  would 
allow  no  one  else  to  do  so. 

Too  often,  however,  the  humanity  of  the  old-fashioned  owner-manager 
has  been  a  dogmatic  humanity.  Too  frequently  he  has  been  hampered  by 
the  conventions  of  his  class  and  become  impervious  to  modern  ideas. 
After  all,  the  professionally  equipped  man  is  trained  to  act  on  facts  and 
not  on  prejudice.  He  is  trained  to  be  dispassionate  and  objective  and  to 
seek  the  truth  undisturbed  by  prejudice  or  preconception.  A  scientific 
approach  is  unfriendly  to  intolerance.  In  any  event  the  large  organiza- 
tions with  plants  in  charge  of  salaried  men  are  with  us  to  stay. 

There  is  no  use  wringing  our  hands  about  an  economic  phenomenon 
such  as  this.  The  solution  lies  in  the  proper  training  of  the  engineer — and 
by  this  I  mean  technically  trained  men  of  any  description — to  handle  in- 
dustrial problems  as  engineer-executive,  as  engineer-foreman,  and  particu- 
larly as  engineer-manager.  It  is  not  enough  to  train  staff  specialists  and 
employment  managers.  As  in  other  fields  it  is  of  the  first  importance  that, 
to  use  a  military  term,  the  line  men  be  trained.  The  local  manager,  above 
all,  is  in  the  key  position.  Each  year  it  is  becoming  increasingly  evident 
that  a  large  part  of  industrial  leadership  must  come  from  him.  He  is  the 
man  who  has  the  closest  contacts  and  the  initial  responsibility.  It  is  he 
who  must  instill  that  personal  quality  which  more  enlightened  owner- 
managers  contributed.     He  can,  in  addition,  apply  all  the  modern  tech- 

30 


nique,  such  as  individual  production  records,  job  analysis  and  vocational 
education  properly  synchronized  with  production  work,  time  studies  and 
modern  employment  methods.  But  above  all  else,  a  manager  to  be  suc- 
cessful should  understand  the  human — /  inight  say  the  political  side,  in 
the  highest  sense  of  that  term. 

We  will  hear  John  Leitch  explain  his  very  ingenious  employe  repre- 
sentation scheme,  in  which  he  emphasizes  the  fact  that  the  success  of  his 
whole  plan  depends  on  the  leadership  afforded  by  the  management.  The 
so-called  works  council  or  shop  committee  movement  is  beyond  question 
a  most  important  and  promising  development.  One  of  the  most  impor- 
tant functions  of  a  committee  system  is  that  it  furnishes  a  vehicle  for  self- 
expression  and  enables  the  manager  to  thus  create  a  healthy  identification 
of  his  employes  with  the  plant  organization.  But  it  takes  a  management 
with  some  imagination  to  properly  install  a  new  plan.  While  employes 
should  by  no  means  have  a  cut-and-dried  scheme  superimposed  upon 
them,  it  is  sheer  folly  to  suppose  that  it  can  be  spontaneous.  As  a  matter 
of  fact  the  soundest  method  of  installing  a  shop  committee  is  to  have  the 
management  let  it  come  about  as  an  organic  growth.  And  after  it  has 
been  started,  it  will  not  flourish  or  be  a  vital  factor  when  the  manage- 
ment is  unsympathetic  or  ignorant  of  human  relations. 

Above  all  else  the  manager  should  understand  the  history  and  back- 
ground of  trade-unionism,  and,  when  the  occasion  presents  itself,  know 
how  to  handle  tactfully  his  relations  with  union  leaders.  To  be  success- 
ful he  must,  on  the  one  hand,  know  how  to  maintain  the  loyaky  of  his 
men  to  himself  and  his  organization,  and  on  the  other  hand,  deal  in  a 
sympathetic  and  democratic  manner  with  modern  sociological  tendencies. 
The  manager  is  the  man  zvho  is  primarily  responsible  for  obtaining  that 
intangible  asset  which  is  known  as  "Good  Will."  He  need  not  handle 
the  entire  personnel  functions  himself  but  may,  under  certain  conditions, 
delegate  a  large  part  to  an  employment  manager,  or  work  harmoniously 
with  a  functional  labor  manager.  But  he  is  not  likely  to  do  this  gra- 
ciously, unless  he  has  a  real  grasp  of  employment  relations. 

In  a  large  proportion  of  plants  the  physical  and  personnel  problems  are 
so  inextricably  bound  together  that  it  is  considered  wisest  to  place  them 
under  the  same  jurisdiction.  It  is  therefore  important  that  if  possible 
those  technical  men  who  plan  to  follow  a  career  in  administrative  posi- 
tions possess  a  native  capacity  for  leadership.  But  a  pleasing  personality 
and  native  capacity  are  insufficient  if  the  professional  interest  of  the  man- 
ager be  entirely  focused  upon  the  physical  problems.  /  knozv  of  a  case 
where  an  engineer-manager,  zvith  a  naturally  fine  personality  for  leader- 
ship, balked  at  making  certain  useful  experiments  along  personnel  lines, 
because,  as  he  frankly  put  it,  he  considered   the  physical  problems  of 

31 


greater  importance  and  did  not  wish  to  waste  his  time  on  the  human  ones. 
Nor  could  he  he  persuaded  to  delegate  them  to  others.  This  attitude  zvas 
largely  due  to  the  character  of  his  professional  training,  which  had 
ignored  the  human  factor. 

Unfortunately  in  the  past  the  training  of  the  engineer  has  been  con- 
fined to  studying  the  reactions  of  dead  matter.  A  purely  technical  educa- 
tion in  problems  which  require  quantitative  methods  does  not  equip  a  man 
to  handle  human  relations  or  to  assume  human  leadership.  Fortunately, 
or  unfortunately,  we  have  not  yet  come  to  the  point  where  human  reac- 
tions can  be  weighed  and  measured. 

I  am  by  no  means  among  those  who  believe  that  laymen  are  our  only 
resort  as  executives,  and  that  technically  trained  men  should  only  serve 
as  narrow  experts  and  specialists.  /  have  had  the  opportunity  of  meeting 
some  engineer-managers  zvho  combine  with  their  knowledge  of  material 
sciences  a  scientific  study  of  human  relations,  and  am  impressed  by  the 
superiority  of  their  approach  to  other  industrial  managers.  The  substi- 
tution of  the  employed  technical  manager  for  the  layman  owner-manager 
may  be  a  blessing  in  disguise. 

A  real  opportunity  is  offered  in  the  possibility  of  developing  a  new  and 
improved  type  of  manager.  Those  primarily  responsible  for  making  the 
most  of  this  opportunity  are  members  of  the  boards  of  trustees  and  the 
faculties  of  our  technical  schools,  who  have  the  task  of  planning  the  cur- 
ricula of  those  schools,  and  of  furnishing  inspiration  to  the  pupils.  The 
Industrial  Service  Committee  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  of  which  Mr.  J.  Parke 
Channing  is  chairman,  and  Mr.  Fred  H.  Rindge,  Jr.,  secretary,  is  doing 
extraordinary  pioneer  work  in  suggesting  definite  human  engineering 
courses  to  our  colleges  and  technical  schools,  and  in  propagandizing  the 
faculties  of  such.  The  movement  is  furnishing  opportunities  for  students 
to  gain  direct  contact  with  industrial  workers — through  teaching  English 
and  citizenship  to  foreigners,  leading  technical  classes  of  American  work- 
ingmen,  clubs  of  working  boys,  etc.  This  does  even  more  for  the  student 
than  it  does  for  the  workingman.  The  result  is  that  a  thousand  or  more 
men  graduate  each  year  with  some  knowledge  of  how  to  handle  men  as 
well  as  materials,  and  with  a  fair,  sympathetic  attitude  toward  the  work- 
ers and  the  problems  they  are  bound  to  deal  with  in  a  larger  way  after 
graduation.  It  seems  to  me  that  a  movement  like  this  is  really  getting 
down  to  fundamentals,  and  should  be  heartily  encouraged  by  all.  I  have 
been  connected  with  quite  a  number  of  movements  and  know  of  none 
more  fundamental  or  better  conducted. 

The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  can  blaze  the  trail,  but  those  primarily  responsible 
are  the  authorities  at  our  technical  schools.  //,  in  planning  the  work  of 
those  students  tvho  may  in  later  life  do  administrative  zrork,  such  boards 

32 


of  trustees  and  faculties  are  zmUing  to  put  sufficient  emphasis  upon  social 
economics  and  the  modern  technique  and  methods  of  handling  labor,  we 
max  develop  a  type  of  leader  zvho  zvill  do  much  to  solve  our  industrial 
problems.  If  the  authorities  of  technical  schools  are  not  willing  to  make 
this  adjustment,  those  of  us  responsible  for  securing  managers  for  our 
plants  will  have  to  go  elsewhere.  We  will  have  to  prefer  the  lay  manager 
to  the  technically  equipped  man,  except  in  those  plants  which,  because  of 
the  exigencies  of  the  problems  involved,  we  must  perforce  put  in  charge 
of  men  with  technical  training. 

We  must  face  the  fact  that  in  order  to  properly  equip  technical  students 
to  handle  human  relations,  it  may  be  necessary  to  sacrifice  a  certain 
amount  of  their  technical  zvork.  But  this  sacrifice  must  be  made  if  the 
result  is  to  be  achieved.  In  addition  to  a  revision  in  the  formal  curricula 
there  should  be  modification  in  the  practice  work.  For  example,  students 
in  mining  schools  should  be  required  in  the  summer  months  to  supple- 
ment their  civil  engineering,  geological  expeditions  and  other  field  work 
by  actually  working  in  industry  with  the  men  they  will  handle  in  their 
future  careers. 

The  Industrial  Service  Committee,  incidentally,  has  been  of  the  great- 
est service  in  furnishing  the  students  with  "job  contacts''  of  every  char- 
acter. There  is  already  an  imposing  literature,  and  a  group  of  specialists, 
on  every  aspect  of  human  engineering,  to  all  of  which  technical  students 
should  be  given  an  adequate  approach.  I  say  approach  because  it  is 
obvious  that  it  is  impossible  to  give  the  student  more.  The  subjects  are 
necessarily  empirical,  and  it  is  only  trial  and  error  and  actual  practice  that 
will  furnish  a  thorough  grasp. 

We  need  not  give  much  heed  to  the  usual  objection,  which  we  hear 
conservative  members  of  the  faculty  of  technical  schools  advance,  that 
only  a  useless  academic  training  can  be  given  in  such  subjects  and  there- 
fore it  is  futile  to  give  any  at  all.  As  with  any  other  problem,  the  first 
essential  is  to  indicate  to  the  student  that  there  is  more  literature  on  the 
subject,  teach  him  zvhere  he  can  find  the  authorities,  and,  most  important 
of  all,  azvakcn  his  interest  so  that  zvhen  he  is  graduated  he  zcill  be  anxious 
to  use  the  most  modern  technique.  Mere  change  of  curricula  is  not  suffi- 
cient. It  is  a  question  of  emphasis  and  inspiration.  The  professional 
enthusiasm  of  the  student,  who  is  to  have  charge  of  handling  men,  must 
be  so  aroused  that  his  interest  in  the  personnel  problem  may  be  on  a  par 
with  his  interest  in  the  material  sciences,  and  thus  become  part  of  his 
professional  equipment.  As  a  result  he  will  be  induced,  when  he  becomes 
a  manager,  to  go  ahead  with  his  plans  for  the  modernization  of  the  han- 
dling of  his  labor  problem  upon  his  own  initiative.  With  such  a  back- 
ground he  will  take  it  upon  himself  to  persuade  his  directors  and  execu- 

3Z 


tive  officers  of  the  wisdom  of  a  more  enlightened  labor  policy,  just  as  he 
now  induces  them  to  allow  him  to  install  experimental  improvements  in 
mechanical  processes. 

And  above  all,  not  only  the  mind  but  the  heart  of  the  prospective  en- 
gineer-manager must  be  trained.  He  must  be  imbued  with  a  thoroughly 
human  and  liberal  attitude.  There  are  big  possibilities  in  the  contact  of 
the  engineer  with  our  industrial  problems.  He  can  become  a  most  influ- 
ential factor  for  good,  if  he  is  but  properly  trained  to  play  his  part  as 
industrial  leader.  It  is  only  fair  to  him  that  he  should  be.  If  properly 
moulded  the  "buffer"  can  become  a  vital  mechanism. 

"Experiences  with  a  Cooperative  Committee" — S.  H.  Libby,  Manag- 
ing Engineer,  Sprague  Electric  Works,  Bloomfield,  N.  J. : 

The  idea  of  a  cooperative  body  to  establish  and  maintain  more  satis- 
factory relations  between  management  and  operatives,  had  its  inception 
in  the  mind  of  C.  D.  Knight,  jManager  of  Works,  of  the  Sprague  Electric 
Works,  early  in  1918.  The  plan  calls  for  a  division  of  the  plant  into 
sections,  each  section  having  not  less  than  tzvo  delegates,  zvith  roughly 
one  delegate  per  one  hundred  employes.  Voting  is  limited  to  those  per- 
sons of  either  sex  who  have  been  in  the  employ  of  the  company  for  three 
months  and  who  are  not  department  heads,  foremen,  or  assistant  fore- 
men. This  practically  confines  the  shop  delegates  to  actual  representa- 
tives of  operatives. 

The  plan  further  provides  that  the  delegates  meet,  after  their  election, 
and  select  officers  and  members  of  the  joint  committees,  from  among 
their  number.  There  are  noiv  eight  joint  committees,  each  made  up  of 
three  elected  delegates  as  described,  and  three  delegates  appointed  by  the 
management.  Practically  all  of  the  detail  work  of  the  committee  is  done 
by  their  joint  committees.  Therein  lies  whatever  success  may  have  been 
attained  by  the  plan,  for  when  three  men  who  have  been  selected  by  their 
shop-mates,  meet  around  a  table  with  three  men  who  have  been  selected 
by  the  manager,  each  group  is  bound  to  learn  something  of  the  other 
group  which  will  mutually  increase  respect.  Our  experience  has  shown 
that  greater  results  than  that  are  bound  to  come. 

After  the  plan  had  been  in  operation  for  a  time  the  business  agent  of 
a  local  union  having  a  small  representation  in  our  plant  passed  the  word 
along  for  all  union  men  to  try  and  get  on  the  committee,  guaranteeing  that 
if  they  could  elect  a  committee  the  majority  of  whom  were  union  men.  the 
committee  would  go  out  of  existence  within  six  months, — in  fact,  that 
there  would  not  be  another  election.  His  orders  were  obeyed,  and  the 
committee  was  "packed."    A  union  man  was  made  chairman  of  the  Gen- 

34 


eral  Committee,  and  every  elected  delegate  on  Committee  No.  2,  "Adjust- 
ment of  Wages  and  Working  Conditions,"  was  a  union  man. 

W' hat  happened  ?  When  those  men  began  to  learn  things,  to  find  out 
that  the  manager  did  not  suggest  the  plan  in  order  to  exploit  the  employes  ; 
that  the  company  was  not  making  one  thousand  per  cent  profit,  one 
hundred  per  cent  profit,  or  even  fifty  per  cent  profit ;  when,  in  fact,  the 
cards  were  placed  on  the  table,  face  up,  and  the  delegates  knew  more  of 
our  business  and  why  certain  things  had  to  be,  than  did  the  leader  whom 
they  were  paying  for  what  he  was  supposed  to  know ;  then  the  scales  fell 
from  their  eyes,  they  recognized  that  the  manager  was  trying  to  help 
them,^and  they  were  heart  and  soul  for  the  plan. 

Now  note  the  next  result.  When  the  union  agent  saw  what  had  hap- 
pened, and  it  came  time  for  the  next  election,  he  reversed  his  orders  of 
six  months  previous,  and  told  every  union  man  under  his  control  to  get 
otT  the  committee  and  stay  oiT.  He  had  found  that  after  they  had  met 
their  employer  face  to  face,  in  manly  fashion,  and  had  seen  things  which 
it  was  not  supposed  to  be  proper  for  them  to  see  in  days  gone  by,  they 
were  no  longer  sufficiently  radical  for  his  purpose ;  in  fact,  had  got  to 
thinking  along  a  higher  plane  than  before,  and  so  he  said,  "get  off  the 
committee,  you  ran  it  too  well,  we  will  put  it  out  of  business  by  staying 
off  of  it."  That  man  is  one  of  the  leaders  who  do  not  or  cannot  look  at 
the  problem  broadly,  and  who  are  doing  more  to  discredit  organized  labor 
than  any  other  single  element.  The  really  fine  thing  about  the  whole 
incident  is  that  the  action  of  the  outside  leader  has  not  in  any  way  dis- 
rupted the  friendships  formed  between  delegates  and  management  during 
their  intercourse,  or  in  any  way  reduced  their  respect,  one  for  the  other. 

Another  thing  that  we  have  been  taught  by  our  experience, — and  by 
"we"  I  mean  both  workers  and  executives, — is  that  each  side,  in  our  plant 
at  least,  is  ninety-nine  per  cent  honest  and  open  to  conviction.  Why, 
then,  it  might  be  asked,  is  there  not  better  cooperation  between  the  two? 
How  may  these  two  parties  throw  oft'  their  distrust  and  acquire  a  feeling 
of  trust  ?  Our  experience  indicates  that  there  is  but  one  rational  method 
by  which  the  desired  results  may  be  attained.  That  is  by  a  process  of 
mutual  education  which  the  shop  representation  plan  appears  to  accom- 
plish, for  the  employer  mvist  educate  the  worker  and  the  worker  must 
educate  the  employer.  We  have  found  that  when  the  company  performed 
its  part  by  laying  the  cards  on  the  table  and  displaying  such  facts  and 
figures  as  have  shown  the  truth,  the  worker  has  been  convinced.  We 
have  also  found  that  when  the  worker  performed  his  part,  by  demon- 
strating that  he  could  think  and  was  open  to  reason,  the  employer  was  con- 
vinced, and  the  radical  who  had  been  presenting  wrong  facts  regarding 
the  worker  forever  lost  his  prestige. 

35 


While  we  had  expected  that  the  employe  would  become  more  inter- 
ested under  the  broadening  influence  of  the  plan,  we  were  surprised  at 
the  extent  of  the  interest  and  the  change  zvhich  was  wrought  in  the 
majority  of  those  who  became  active  in,  or  zvere  connected  zvith,  the  ad- 
ministration of  the  plan.  This  change  was  so  marked  in  some  cases  that 
a  man  was  able  to  stand  up  before  a  group  of  his  mates,  and  explain 
certain  phases  of  the  working  of  the  plant  as  well  as,  or  even  better  than, 
an  executive  could  do  it,  because  he  not  only  had  the  knowledge,  but  he 
could  talk  in  the  language  of  his  hearers. 

One  result  of  the  plan  was  the  disclosure  of  some  of  those  weak  points 
in  our  organization,  which  were  promptly  rectified.  We  found  that  the 
success  of  the  plan  depends  more  upon  friendliness,  and  love  for  their 
fellow  men,  on  the  part  of  all  parties  concerned,  than  upon  anything  else. 

We  feel  that  we  were  particularly  fortunate  in  that  the  Orange  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  detailed  as  the  Industrial  Secretary  for  our  District,  a  man  who  has 
won  the  friendship  of  all  with  whom  he  has  come  in  contact,  whether 
workers  or  executives.  His  work  augmented  the  work  of  the  Coopera- 
tive Committee,  with  which  he  worked  closely.  Under  his  direction  teach- 
ers were  instructed,  and  classes  were  organized  in  English,  Americaniza- 
tion and  mathematics.  Noon  meetings  were  held  at  which  a  variety  of 
helpful  subjects  were  discussed,  all  of  which  tended  to  give  the  hearers 
a  better  idea  of  the  ideals  for  which  the  Government  of  this  country 
stands.  These  talks  were  in  addition  to  the  regular  weekly  religious 
meeting  which  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  has  held  at  our  plant  for  the  past  six  years. 

These,  and  many  other  events,  resulted  in  bringing  employes  of  all  de- 
partments into  close  contact,  breaking  down  the  tendency  to  "cliques" 
which  always  exists,  and  so  helped  promote  that  democracy  which  is  so 
desirable,  and  so  necessary,  if  "social  unrest"  is  to  be  ended.  Our  experi- 
ence indicates  that  the  great  question  can  only  be  solved  by  each  party 
putting  the  cards  face  up  on  the  table,  with  the  fullest  confidence  in  the 
honesty  and  integrity  of  purpose  of  the  other  felloiv. 

We  had  an  idea  that  ninety-nine  per  cent  of  the  people  were  honest, 
and  now  we  know  it. 

"Constructive    Adjustment    of   Industrial    Relations" — John    Leitch, 
President,  The  John  Leitch  Company,  New  York  City : 

My  book,  I  think  you  will  admit,  contains  nothing  about  Leitch,  but 
something  about  men  who  work,  of  the  possibilities  of  men  who  wear 
overalls,  as  well  as  men  who  wear  business  suits  in  the  private  office.  It 
is  the  record  of  deeds  by  men, — men  in  whom  we  have  not  had  enough 
confidence,  not  enough  faith,  and  in  whom  we  need  more  confidence  and 
more  faith.    They  are  in  the  private  office,  the  shop  and  the  mines.     The 

36 


salvation  of  the  world  docs  not  lie  in  camouflage,  in  money;  it  does  lie 
in  men. 

That  great  power  that  lies  in  men  is  almost,  if  not  quite,  undiscovered, 
not  yet  dug  up.  It  is  still  in  the  rock,  underneath  the  surface,  buried 
behind  some  of  the  hardest  things  in  life,  just  as  gold  is  not  sunk  under 
sand  or  ordinary  soil,  or  close  to  the  grass.  We  cannot  pick  it  up.  Men 
have  to  struggle  to  get  possession  of  it.  There  lies  back  in  man,  covered 
by  habits  of  ages — covered  by  the  fact  that  he  has  not  used  it,  the  thing 
that  is  going  to  save  this  country  and  this  world.  It  is  not  the  great 
thing  that  we  can  call  his  mind,  not  the  physical,  not  the  psychophysical. 
His  physical  being  is  a  wonderful  thing.  We  have  only  begun  to  under- 
stand that. 

And  yet  the  times  are  calling  for  spiritual  pozver.  These  times  we  feel 
now.  these  uneasy  upheavals,  the  pains  through  which  humanity  is  going, 
are  the  birth  pains  of  the  spiritual  man.  He  is  coming  not  in  the  form 
some  of  the  religious  people  might  think,  or  the  orthodox  people  may 
think,  not  in  the  form  of  a  reborn  Christ  or  of  an  individual,  but  in  the 
form  of  popular  Christ  spirit  or  creative  spirit ;  maybe  in  the  form  of 
you  and  me.  Maybe  we  should  not  wait  for  some  man  to  be  born  whose 
name  would  be  Washington  or  Lincoln,  or  whose  name  should  be  any 
other  than  yours  and  mine.  IMaybe  leadership  belongs  to  you  and  to  me. 
Maybe  we  have  not  filled  our  job.  Maybe  it  is  because  we  lack  faith  in 
ourselves ;  maybe  it  is  because  we  cannot  see ;  maybe  it  is  because  we 
have  not  known  ourselves,  and  cannot  look  into  the  eyes  of  others,  and 
see  back  of  the  surface  and  the  rock,  the  gold  and  the  souls  of  men. 
What  do  I  mean?  Soul,  spiritual  povv-er !  I  mean  the  thing  we  have 
heard  from  our  preachers,  from  our  Sunday  School  teachers, — who  have 
done  their  best,  their  utmost.  We  must  take  this  thing  they  have  been 
teaching  and  put  it  into  the  industrial  and  social  relations  of  life.  It  is 
the  sparkling  principle  that  makes  all  things  go. 

Man  achieved  a  great  thing  when  he  discovered  the  horse  and  did  a 
wonderful  economic  thing  when  he  trained  the  horse.  He  discovered 
horsepower.  It  was  a  wonderful  age.  Go  back  into  the  ages  before  that 
when  man.  knowing  very  little,  did  all  of  his  own  work.  Then  he  dis- 
covered the  horse  and  got  him  to  do  part  of  his  work.  He  must  have  been 
kicked  in  the  ribs  by  the  horse,  but  that  did  not  matter. 

Later  man  took  another  wonderful  step.  He  discovered  steam.  What 
did  steam  do  for  him  ?  Gave  him  the  ha,  ha  !  laughed  at  him  ;  burned  him, 
scorned  him ;  but  it  made  him  free.  People  laughed  at  Fulton  when  he 
tried  to  run  his  steamboat  on  the  Hudson,  particularly  the  scientists 
laughed,  those  trained  in  the  old  method  of  thought,  who  thought  they  had 
the   knowledge   of   the   ages.     Fulton   made   good — the   steamboat   ran. 

37 


Transportation  on  land  has  been  running  by  steam ;  wheels  have  been 
turned  in  the  factories;  you  are  wearing  clothes  that  have  been  made  by 
steam  power.  You  came  here  by  steam,  unless  you  came  up  in  last  year's 
Ford. 

It  was  another  wonderful  step  when  some  fellow  flying  a  kite  during  a 
storm,  with  a  key  at  the  end  of  the  string,  discovered  electricity.  "A  fool- 
ish man,"  his  friends  said,  "playing  out  in  the  storm."  He  got  the  first 
taste  of  a  new  power.  It  has  developed  into  a  wonderful  thing.  Without 
it  you  and  I  could  not  see  each  other  tonight.  Only  three  steps  there — the 
great  steps  forward  when  we  discovered  horsepower,  steam  and  elec- 
tricity. 

If  I  were  the  president,  or  general  manager,  of  a  great  factory,  with 
many  different  departments  in  it,  I  would  not  be  satisfied  with  my  plant 
if  it  had  only  horsepower,  steam  power  and  electricity.  These  we  have 
had  long  enough.  We  must  use  man  power,  and  that  man  pozver  is  his 
spiritual  pozver  put  into  his  daily  zuork.  That  is  why  I  believe  in  indus- 
trial democracy,  because  it  means  to  me  what  it  meant  to  John  Quincy 
Adams,  John  Hancock  and  others.  They  had  so  much  faith  in  men  col- 
lectively, in  their  judgment  and  actions,  that  they  did  not  believe  in  king 
rule  or  the  power  of  one  individual — monarchy — but  in  the  people.  The 
proof  that  they  were  right  is  that  democracy  has  been  in  operation  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  years  in  our  own  country.  It  has  made  us  the 
most  wonderful  nation  in  the  world.  If  it  has  power,  power  enough  to 
assist  man  in  his  own  progress  politically,  to  work  out  our  salvation  as  a 
nation,  I  think  it  is  big  enough  to  work  out  in  the  factory.  /  believed  that 
democracy  zvould  zvork  in  industry,  hut  nozu  I  do  not  believe — /  knozv  it! ! 

Industrial  democracy,  to  those  who  are  not  thoroughly  familiar  with  it, 
resembles  our  Government.  The  first  unit  is  the  executive,  that  is,  the 
cabinet,  formed  similarly  to  our  United  States  Government.  We  call  the 
executives  of  the  company  together  and  they  meet  once  a  week.  The 
second,  the  senate,  composed  of  the  heads  of  departments  and  offices 
throughout  the  factory.  They  also  meet  once  a  week  at  stated  hours. 
Third,  the  house  of  representatives,  formed  from  the  workers  by  ballot, 
and  they  get  together  once  a  week  at  regularly  stated  hours.  It  makes 
no  difference  where  the  new  ideas  come  from, — the  house,  the  senate,  or 
the  cabinet, — they  are  received  with  just  as  much  welcome.  Most  of  the 
ideas  zmll  come  from  the  house  of  representatives.  You  would  expect 
that  most  of  the  ideas  should  come  from  the  cabinet.  You  would  prob- 
ably be  surprised  in  the  practical  demonstration  of  industrial  democracy 
to  find  that  the  fellow  who  works  has  brains — that  he  is  constructive. 
All  that  we  need  to  do  is  first  to  get  his  confidence,  to  be  worthy  of  him. 

There  is  no  use  to  establish  industrial  democracy  and  cooperation  be- 

38 


tivccu  yourself  and  any  other  individual,  u)iless  you  are  sincere.  If  you 
are  not  sincere,  and  unless  you  have  faith  in  the  people  of  your  organiza- 
tion, do  not  tackle  it.  If  you  are  sincere  and  earnest  and  you  really  do 
have  faith  in  the  people  of  your  organization,  do  not  be  afraid  to  say  so. 
Do  not  he  afraid  to  go  to  your  people  and  tell  them  hoiv  you  honestly  and 
sincerely  feel.  First,  you  must  have  faith  in  them ;  tell  them  according 
to  your  actual  faith.  Do  not  exaggerate  a  particle.  If  you  do  that  they 
will  talk  to  you  as  they  feel,  and  they  won't  exaggerate  !  I  have  seen  tears 
in  the  eyes  of  an  executive  in  attendance  at  a  conference  where  1,800 
people  assembled  outside  of  company  time  and  for  only  one  definite  pur- 
pose, that  they  might  express  to  him  their  love,  and  their  faith  in  him  as 
the  president  of  the  company !  Then  they  presented  him  with  a  scroll 
done  by  Tiffany  and  surrounded  by  a  frame  made  to  order,  which  cost 
the  people  $120.  There  were  1.800  people,  twenty-three  nationalities, 
and  some  did  not  speak  English.  I  wish  you  could  have  listened  to  a  man 
in  overalls  present  to  the  president  their  love  and  affection. 

My  real  subject  tonight  is  "Spiritual  power  applied  to  Industry."  I  have 
been  a  worker  for  forty-two  years.  /  icant  to  tell  you  that  the  pozver  lies 
ill  the  people — the  pozver  for  peace  as  zvcll  as  that  most  disputed  pozver 
for  zvar.  I  zvant  to  collect  that  pozver  for  peace  and  pozver  of  the  people 
for  prosperity.  I  saw  in  1917,  after  our  Fourth  Liberty  Loan  was  out, 
the  same  1,800  people,  to  whom  I  just  referred,  through  the  house  of 
representatives,  make  this  statement :  "The  employes  say  they  want  some 
method  by  which  they  can  clear  off  these  obligations  they  owe,  so  that 
they  may  be  ready  for  the  Fifth  Liberty  Loan."  They  adopted  this  agree- 
ment unanimously — "that  instead  of  the  mill  closing  at  five  o'clock,  we 
move  that  the  mill  hereafter  run  from  five  until  six  o'clock,  the  additional 
hour  being  for  the  sole  purpose  of  helping  pay  off  the  Fourth  Liberty 
Loan,  and  have  the  company  credit  this  additional  hour  directly  to  our 
Fourth  Liberty  Loan."  One  man  moved  that  the  whistle  be  blown  for 
one  minute  at  five  o'clock,  when  they  all  turned  their  faces  toward  the 
east. 

Spiritual  pozver  has  zvon  all  of  our  zvars — it  has  zvon  everything  zvorth 
zvhilc.  Let  us  get  the  zvhole  man  on  the  job.  That  is  zvhat  is  needed 
today.  Industrial  democracy  means  that  we  no  longer  consider  the  men 
as  "hands"  in  the  factory, — as  part  of  the  physical  side  only.  We  have 
thought  of  them  as  such,  or  we  would  not  have  given  them  that  title. 
Get  up  into  his  head — see  his  brains.  See  that  man  in  overalls — maybe  his 
back  is  badly  bent — maybe  his  hand  is  minus  a  finger  or  two — but  look  up 
and  see  the  man's  thought.  We  shall  find  the  same  thoughts  we  have  ; 
we  shall  find  the  same  desires  we  have.  He  wants  to  give  his  child  a 
better  education — to  give  his  child  a  better  start.     He  has  burdens  to 

39 


carry.  He  has  ambitions  for  his  children.  If  we  could  cut  him  open  and 
look  inside  of  him  we  would  see  a  man  just  like  ourselves.  We  find  that 
he  has  a  yearning  to  break  his  shell — to  get  into  a  bigger  world.  He  has 
been  held  down  by  things  that  we  have  thought  were  "efficiency." 

Give  to  our  people  in  the  factories  and  shops  an  opportimitv,  which 
means  an  opportunity  to  express  what  the  Creator  has  put  in  them,  just 
as  the  rain  coming  down  to  the  plant  does  not  make  the  plant  grow,  but 
merely  liberates  the  nitrogen  in  the  soil.  So  it  is  with  the  proper  leader- 
ship and  the  proper  management  in  industry.  /  would  rather  hare  a 
thousand  or  ten  thousand  men,  thinking  men,  in  my  shop,  than  the  same 
number  of  slaves,  from  a  dollars-and-cents  point  of  viezv, — not  to  sa\ 
anything  about  their  morale.  What  the  country  really  zvants  is  not  more 
money,  but — MEN. 


SUNDAY,  AUGUST  29,  9:00  A.M.,  MORNING  SESSION  AND 

DISCUSSION 

Charles  R.  Towson,  Presiding. 
Major  E,  B.  Herron,  London,  England : 

Major  Herron  brought  greetings  from  England,  and  said  that  he  appre- 
ciated what  it  meant  to  America  to  have  men  get  together  at  such  confer- 
ences as  this.  He  made  the  point  that  many  of  their  own  forward  steps 
had  been  made  through  organized  labor,  and  that  over  there  they  be- 
lieved more  in  cooperating  with  the  unions  than  is  the  case  in  America. 

Mr.  Kingsbury  asked  ]\Ir.  Lewisohn  for  his  opinion  regarding  the 
responsibility  of  the  directors  for  the  policies  being  worked  out  in  indus- 
trial plants. 

Mr.  Sam  A.  Lewisohn: 

That  depends  upon  the  character  of  the  industry  and  whether  the 
director  has  the  time  or  training  to  devote  his  attention  personally  to  the 
indust'-y. 

Mr.  F.  J.  Kingsbury : 

You  will  all  remember  the  situation  in  the  Colorado  Fuel  &  Iron  Com- 
pany, when  they  were  having  all  kinds  of  difficulties.  Mr.  Rockefeller 
had  never  been  out  there.  The  men  there  had  a  very  unfortunate  idea 
of  what  Mr.  Rockefeller  was.  When  Mr.  Rockefeller  did  go  out  there, 
one  of  these  men,  a  foreigner,  asked  that  Mr.  Rockefeller  be  pointed  out 
to  him.  When  he  saw  him,  he  could  not  believe  that  he  was  Mr.  Rocke- 
feller, and  said, — "I  thought  Mr.  Rockefeller  was  a  devil  and  he  is  a  man 
just  like  I  am." 

40 


Mr.  John  Leitch,  President,  The  John  Leitch  Company : 

The  one  important  thing  is  that  men  get  together.  Our  idea  in  going 
into  an  industry  is  to  utilize  what  is  already  there,  and  not  try  to  revolu- 
tionize the  place.  The  organization  is  established ;  whether  or  not  ofificers 
are  elected  by  stockholders  makes  no  difference ;  they  are  there.  The 
foremen  are  there  according  to  the  selection  and  the  best  judgment  of  the 
executives. 

The  president  today  depends  not  entirely  upon  the  vote  of  the  stock- 
holders for  his  job,  but  has  vision  enough  to  see  that  he  holds  his  job  also 
because  of  his  employes'  attitude  toward  him.  When  you  have  trans- 
formed the  plant  and  have  not  caused  a  revolution,  then  you  have  a  real 
democracy,  and  the  people,  if  they  were  allowed  to  vote,  would  vote  for 
this  same  president.  He  wants  the  vote  of  his  people,  because  it  indicates 
that  he  is  a  just  man, — a  worthy  leader. 

Question  :  How  do  the  unions  look  at  any  form  of  democracy — co- 
operation between  capital  and  labor?  How  do  they  look  at  industrial 
democracy  ? 

Mr.  Roger  W.  Babson,  President,  Babson  Statistical  Bureau : 

Frankly,  I  do  not  think  they  approve  it  in  the  present  state.  In  saying 
that,  permit  me  to  add  that  I  am  enthusiastic  over  Mr.  Leitch's  plan,  that 
when  I  read  his  book  I  presented  the  matter  to  my  own  force  in  Welles- 
ley.  We  have  two  hundred  and  fifty  employes,  and  the  plan  was  adopted 
and  we  have  been  using  it  very  successfully  for  three  years.  As  a  statis- 
tician, however,  I  must  answer  that  question  by  saying  that  labor  does  not 
look  favorably  upon  it.  I  think  that  labor  and  the  labor  unions  are  in 
the  fighting  stage.  The  sound  labor  leaders  with  whom  I  talk  do  not 
feel  that  the  unions  or  collective  bargaining  are  the  ultimate  solutions  to 
the  problem.  Mr.  Gompers  will  tell  you  that  the  ultimate  solution  is  in 
an  open  shop,  that  is,  it  will  end  in  an  open  shop,  but  that  he  believes  a 
closed  shop  is  a  necessary  feature  in  the  fight.  He  believes  that  such 
plans  as  Mr.  Leitch  and  others  of  us  are  interested  in,  bear  the  same  rela- 
tion to  the  industrial  struggle  as  those  peace  notes  the  Pope  used  to  write 
during  the  war,  and  he  turns  them  down  in  the  same  spirit  as  the  Presi- 
dent and  Lloyd  George  turned  down  the  Pope's  notes. 

Mr.  R.  B.  Wolf,  Consulting  Engineer,  New  York  City : 

It  may  interest  you  to  know  that  in  one  of  the  companies  with  which  I 
have  been  connected,  there  is  a  closed  union  shop,  and  recently  the  men 
in  these  plants  found  that  ordinary  union  methods  of  getting  at  things 
were  not  quite  plastic  enough.     At  the  suggestion  of  those  men,  we  pub- 

41 


lished  a  list  of  the  different  representation  plans.  This  is  being  done 
today  in  the  Spanish  River  Company.  We  are  working  with  them.  We 
are  doing  what  our  English  friend  suggested — "cooperating." 

Mr.  John  Leitch: 

Labor  wants  representation;  labor  leaders  do  not  want  them  to  have 
industrial  representation.  Our  plan  of  industrial  democracy  is  opposed 
by  radical  labor  leaders,  also  conservative  labor  leaders,  provided  they  are 
high  enough  in  authority.  They  know  that  cooperation  between  em- 
ployers and  employes  will  disconnect  labor, — the  labor  leader  does  not 
want  them  to  do  it  because  he  is  afraid  he  will  lose  his  job. 

10:00  A.M.     SPECIAL  SERVICE 

"Religion  in  Industry" — Robert  B.  Wolf,  Consulting  Engineer,  New 
York  City : 

I  suppose  that  assigning  the  topic  "Religion  in  Industry"  for  an  en- 
gineer to  preach  a  sermon  upon,  would  have  been  considered  out  of  place 
a  few  years  ago.  A  sermon  requires  a  text,  so  I  will  take  mine  from  the 
twelfth  chapter  of  St.  INIatthew,  thirty-second  verse:  "Whoever  says  a 
word  against  the  Son  of  Man  will  be  forgiven,  but  whoever  sins  against 
the  Holy  Spirit  will  never  be  forgiven,  neither  in  this  world  nor  in  the 
world  to  come." 

Mr.  Smith,  in  his  keynote  speech,  said  that  a  lack  of  spiritual  educa- 
tion is  the  basis  of  most  of  our  troubles.  Is  it  not  necessary,  therefore, 
that  we  understand  the  principles  upon  ivhich  Christianity  is  founded  in 
a  zvay  which  can  be  applied  each  day  and  hour  of  our  lives?  Such  a 
religion  as  Mr.  Kingsbury  referred  to  when  he  said,  "our  religion  must  be 
practical."  Mr.  Alford  pointed  out  that  the  engineer  today  is  thinking 
in  terms  of  production  for  service.  He  might  have  added — for  I  know 
this  thought  is  also  in  his  mind — that  industry  exists  for  the  purpose  of 
enabling  man  to  express  his  spiritual  creative  power  in  his  daily  life. 
Mr.  Leitch  pointed  out  very  clearly  indeed,  that  we  are  dealing  with  spir- 
itual forces  in  industry,  and  that  the  only  real  solution  for  the  labor  prob- 
Ictn  is  that  the  industrial  environment  be  such  that  the  zvorkman  has  an 
opportunity  to  express  himself  in  creative  zvork.  Finally,  we  have  the 
closing  words  of  Mr.  H.  L.  Gantt's  splendid  book,  "Organizing  for 
Work,"  where  he  makes  the  statement  that  in  all  of  his  years'  experience 
as  an  industrial  engineer,  he  has  found  the  Golden  Rule  the  most  practical 
doctrine  upon  which  to  run  a  business. 

What  is  meant  by  the  text  that  "a  sin  against  the  Holy  Spirit  will  not 
be  forgiven"?  The  meaning  of  this,  as  the  engineer  understands  it,  was 
pointed  out  by  Mr.  Alford  when  he  stated  that  the  engineer  willingly 

42 


obeys  natural  lazv.  As  law,  however,  must  have  a  lawgiver,  so  the  en- 
gineer is  forced  to  recognize  the  fact  that  there  is  a  great  spirit  that  main- 
tains the  natural  law  in  its  absolute  operation.  Burbank  obeyed  this  law 
when  he  created  the  grapefruit.  In  other  words,  he  understood  Nature 
and  by  his  knowledge  of  her  laws  he  was  enabled  to  create  the  conditions 
under  which  the  grapefruit  could  be  brought  into  existence.  Burbank 
also  created  the  Honey-dew  melon  and  the  loganberry. 

It  is  this  same  process  that  is  followed  in  the  world  of  industry.  The 
ship,  for  instance,  has  been  created  by  man.  He  took  the  iron,  copper, 
steel  and  wood,  and  out  of  these  preexisting  materials  created  a  new 
form — the  ship.  Man  today  has  conquered  the  earth,  through  his  knowl- 
edge of  the  lazus  of  nature.  Within  our  own  time  he  has  also  conquered 
the  water,  I  mean  with  the  submarine ;  and,  by  means  of  the  aeroplane, 
he  has  also  conquered  the  air.  The  important  point  to  remember,  how- 
ever, is  that  none  of  these  things  zvould  have  come  into  existence  zvithout 
man's  pozver  to  observe,  think,  plan  and  create. 

The  engineer  recognizes  the  great  spirit  of  the  whole  universe  because 
he  is  in  constant  daily  contact  with  it,  so  he  knows  the  truth  of  Christ's 
statement  in  the  text,  "a  sin  against  the  Holy  Spirit  will  not  be  forgiven." 
In  other  words,  he  knows  he  must  compensate  and  make  amends  for  any 
violation  of  natural  law.  For  instance,  the  boiler  will  explode,  or  burn 
out,  if  the  water  level  is  not  maintained.  Similarly,  the  garden  will  be 
destroyed  if  it  is  not  properly  watered. 

Mr.  Towson  has  pointed  out  that  we  often  learn  by  shocks  that  jar  us 
out  of  our  complacency.  Perhaps  what  I  am  going  to  say  next  will  be 
a  shock  to  my  orthodox  friends,  as  it  was  more  or  less  of  a  shock  to  me 
when  I  first  discovered  it.  I  refer  to  the  fundamental  doctrine  of  the 
Christian  religion, — the  Trinity.  In  my  efforts  to  explain  the  remarkable 
results  zve  zvere  obtaining  in  our  industrial  plants,  I  took  up  successively 
the  study  of  geology,  biology,  physiology,  philosophy  and,  finally,  compar- 
ative religions.  In  this  last  study  I  found  Christ's  statement  that  He  came, 
not  to  destroy  the  lazv,  but  to  fulfill,  zvas  literally  true,  for  the  doctrine  of 
the  Trinity  zvas  universal  in  all  the  zvorld's  great  religions.  It  was  taught 
by  Moses,  only  the  meaning  was  concealed,  in  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis. 
In  the  Kabbala,  however,  I  found  it  unveiled.  The  Jews  taught  that 
Jehovah  manifests  in  three  ways:  Kether,  meaning  crown  or  unity; 
Chocma,  meaning  son,  or  wisdom ;  Bina,  meaning  mother  or  spirit.  The 
Hindu  taught  the  same :  Brahma,  meaning  will ;  Vishnu,  meaning  in- 
dividual wisdom ;  and  Siva,  meaning  activity.  The  same  doctrine  was 
taught  by  Confucius,  who  taught  that  there  were  three  great  powers  that 
ruled  the  universe :  Tsi,  or  Providence,  the  great  providing  principle, 
which  brought  all  manifested  life  into  existence;  Tsing,  meaning  the  Will 

43 


of  Man,  the  Son ;  and  Ki,  meaning  Destiny,  or  that  great  principle  in 
nature  which  is  destined  never  to  change  its  way  of  operation. 

I  could  name  others,  for  the  principle  underlies  all  the  world's  great 
religions.  These  examples,  however,  I  think,  illustrate  the  point  I  wish 
to  make,  namely,  that  all  of  the  world's  great  religions  recognize  man  as 
the  Son  of  the  Creator  and,  therefore,  created  in  His  image  and  likeness. 
Our  intuitive  knowledge  of  this  fact  is  expressed  in  the  word  Brother- 
hood. 

Obviously,  the  image  is  not  physical,  but  mental,  and  the  key  to  under- 
standing this  universally  accepted  doctrine  lies  in  the  fact  that  man  never 
creates  matter  nor  force.  These  great  primary  elementals  are  presided 
over  by  that  aspect  of  the  Trinity  which  we  call  the  Holy  Spirit,  or  the 
Spirit  of  the  whole.  Man  does  create,  however,  hy  observing  the  natural 
law  and  then  creating  the  conditions  for  its  special  operation.  He  fully 
recognises  the  Holy  Spirit  ivhen  he  willingly  conforms  to  its  law,  hy  the 
creation  of  conditions  for  its  special  unfoldmcnt.  "Nature,  unaided, 
fails,"  is  a  world-old  maxim..  Man's  function  in  life  is,  therefore,  to 
form  a  connecting  link  between  God  and  Nature. 

If  we,  as  industrial  managers,  desire  to  realize  the  greatest  possible 
amount  of  constructive  creative  power,  it  is  essential  that  we  develop  an 
operating  environment  where  men  can  work  intelligently;  an  environ- 
ment where  men  cannot  use  their  mental  powers  is  necessarily  a  destruc- 
tive environment.  It  is  destructive  of  individuality  and,  therefore, 
destructive  of  conscious  spiritual  unfoldment  of  humanity. 

Man,  however,  being  fundamentally  creative,  is  compelled  by  his  very 
nature  to  destroy  an  industrial  environment  which  does  not  give  him 
opportunity  for  self-expression  and  the  exercise  of  his  creative  facul- 
ties. He  must  ever  become  increasingly  more  conscious  of  the  great 
spirit  of  the  whole  and  recognize  himself  as  the  instrument  through 
which  the  Creator  manifests. 

It  was  the  sudden  realization  of  this  stupendous  fact  which  illuminated 
the  apostles  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  for  they  knen'  themselves  to  be 
"at  one"  with  the  great  Spirit,  which  ensouls  the  whole  universe,  and 
conscious  cooperators  in  the  creative  process. 


"Religion   in   Industry" — S.   W.    Grafflin,    Religious   Work    Director, 
West  Side  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  New^  York  City: 

Christianity  has  a  social  task, — a  task  that  Christianity  alone  may 
undertake  and  successfully  accomplish. 

Way  back  yonder,  so  long  ago  that  no  one  knows  just  when  it  was, 
there  was  a  man  who  felt  that  things  were  wrong;  felt  it  so  deeply  that 

44 


his  heart  burned  within  him.  Then  lie  went  away  into  the  forest  and 
thought  it  through.  Nothing  of  permanent  value  has  ever  been  accom- 
plished except  by  men  zvho  had  definitely  thought  through  their  program. 
Only  three  religions  persist  ivith  real  vitality.  They  are  Judaism,  Chris- 
tianity and  Mohamnicdanism,  and  each  of  these  zvas  founded  by  a  man 
who  first  spent  forty  days  alone  with  God. 

Then  this  thinker  cut  him  a  chib — a  great  big  heahhy  chib.  "Theodore 
the  First"  was  not  the  original  owner  of  the  "big  stick."  Every  great 
leader  has  owned  one.  Having  cut  his  club  and  shaped  it  to  his  hand  he 
strode  back  into  the  camp.  Before  one  of  the  caves  or  tents  there  lay  the 
half-eaten  remains  of  a  sheep.  He  knew  that  it  would  rot  and  smell  and 
that  the  whole  camp  would  have  to  move  because  of  the  rotting  of  that 
half-eaten  carcass.  To  the  proprietor  of  the  cave  or  tent  he  said,  "Bury 
that  sheep.  It  will  rot  and  smell  and  we  will  have  to  move."  "Who  says 
so  ?"  "I  say  so."  "Forget  it."  Whang !  The  big  stick  came  down  on 
his  skull.    The  reactionary  lay  dead  and  there  was  blood  on  the  club. 

His  blood  up,  his  club  over  his  shoulder,  The  Man  With  the  Blood  on 
His  Club  strode  down  the  main  street  of  that  little  camp  until  he  came  to 
man  No.  3.  Remember  that  man  No.  2  is  always  dead.  History  so 
records.  To  man  No.  3  he  said,  "Things  are  going  to  be  different  in  this 
camp  from  this  time  on."  "Who  says  so?"  "I  say  so."  He  looked  at  the 
big  man  with  flashing  eyes ;  he  looked  at  the  blood  on  the  club.  "Yes," 
he  said,  "they  should  be  different.  I  have  been  thinking  so  for  a  long 
time."  "All  right ;  go  cut  yourself  a  club,  a  little  smaller  than  this  one,  and 
follow  me."  Then  these  two  men  continued  their  mission  until  they  came 
to  man  No.  4,  man  No.  2  being  dead,  and  to  him  they  made  the  same  state- 
ment,— "Things  are  going  to  be  different  in  this  camp."  "Who  says  so?" 
"We  say  so."  He  looked  at  the  big  man  with  the  blood  on  his  club ;  he 
looked  at  the  little  henchman  with  his  smaller  stick  and  acquiesced.  "Go 
get  yourself  a  stick  and  come  along." 

When  they  had  gathered  half  a  dozen  they  went  back  to  the  original 
cave  or  tent  and  made  the  family  of  man  No.  2  bury  not  only  the  sheep 
but  the  man,  and  at  that  time  the  tribe  did  not  move. 

It  took  money  to  support  an  organization  like  that.  Men  who  walk 
around  with  sticks  over  their  shoulders  do  not  produce,  and  so  they 
appointed  a  tax  gatherer,  and  a  scribe  who  should  keep  a  record  of  as 
much  of  the  money  as  the  tax  gatherer  ever  turned  over,  and  organized 
politics  was  born.     It  has  changed  little  with  the  passing  of  the  years. 

Soon  after  this,  out  of  the  great  mass,  three  representative  craftsmen 
arose, — three  types  of  men.  The  first  of  these  men  looked  down.  He 
was  a  digger  and  delver  in  the  earth.  He  lived  for  food  and  appetite. 
When  the  fish  ran  up  the  streams  in  the  spring,  he  caught  and  ate.    When 

45 


the  wild  deer  and  goats  and  kine  came  to  their  springtime  matings,  he 
slew  and  ate.  And  when  the  fruits  and  berries  were  on  every  hand,  he 
plucked  and  ate,  and  he  and  his  grew  sleek  and  fat  and  round.  When 
winter  came,  with  a  few  nuts  and  dried  fruits,  he  crawled  into  some  cave 
or  tent  and  on  his  bed  of  leaves  starved  and  froze.  And  with  the  spring, 
as  many  of  him  as  survived  crawled  out  again,  to  repeat  the  process  of 
eating  and  growing  fat.  This  was  the  man  who  looked  down, — he  lived 
for  food  and  appetite. 

There  was  another  man  who  looked  up.  One  spring  morning,  as  he 
heard  the  lark  sing  on  the  breast  of  the  morning,  the  music  stirred  his 
soul  and  he  made  him  a  little  bunch  of  eight  whistles,  bound  together  v/ith 
a  thong,  and  played  the  bird  song  after  it.  He  heard  the  wind  as  it 
sighed  through  the  pines  on  the  hills  and  its  cadence  soothed  him,  so  he 
bent  a  bough  and  on  it  wove  ten  strings  of  dried  entrails  of  some  animal 
and  played  the  wind  song  after  it,  and  the  harp  was  born.  He  heard 
certain  words  occur  and  recur  in  the  language  of  his  tribe,  and  he  wrote 
them  a  saga  telling  of  the  history  and  romance  of  the  tribe.  He  saw  the 
wild  deer  leap  the  stream,  and  the  exquisite  picture  moved  him,  and, 
when  he  tried  to  tell  of  it  that  night  and  they  could  not  comprehend,  he 
caught  a  fagot  from  the  hearth,  and,  on  the  wall  of  the  cave  or  tent,  he 
drew  the  branching  antlers  and  extended  limbs,  the  swayed  back,  the  little 
tail,  and  all  the  tribe  came  in  to  look  and  said, — "See  the  deer !  He  has 
made  us  a  picture.  Teach  us  how  to  make  pictures."  And  music  and 
poetry  and  art  were  born  through  the  man  who  looked  up. 

He  always  starved  and  froze.  You  cannot  make  whistles  and  harps 
and  write  poetry  and  draw  pictures  and  support  a  family.  We  have  our 
term  Bachelor  of  Arts  due  to  the  fact  that  this  fellow  never  had  enough 
to  get  married  on  from  that  time  forward. 

There  was  a  third  man  and  he  looked  out.  One  morning,  ere  the  frosts 
of  spring  had  fled,  he  crept  from  his  bed  of  leaves,  and  standing  in  the 
starlight  lifted  his  hand  to  whatever  gods  he  knew  and  said,  "Never 
again !"  He  rushed  out  into  the  forest  and  tore  the  wild  vines  from  the 
leafless  boughs  and  wove  them  into  nets,  and  staked  them  in  the  streams 
to  catch  the  fish  as  they  rushed  up  to  the  spawning.  He  took  the  clay 
from  beside  the  river  bank  and  moulded  it  into  great  crocks.  He  dragged 
the  fagots  from  the  woods  and  burned  the  crocks  until  they  were  hard. 
He  dug  the  sea  salt  from  the  clefts  along  the  shore.  He  caught  his  fish 
and  cleaned  them  and  put  them  in  the  crocks  and  salted  them  down  for 
winter  use. 

He  saw  the  wild  goats  and  kine  come  to  the  mating  by  the  thawing 
streams,  and  made  him  traps  to  catch  them.  With  his  crude  sickle  he  cut 
the  hay  that  they  might  eat ;  he  domesticated  their  young.    All  that  sum- 

46 


mer  he  rose  while  the  stars  still  shone  and  worked  till  night  shut  him  in. 
That  winter  he  "lived,"  wrapped  in  the  warm  clothing  of  the  beasts  he  had 
slain.  He  lived  on  milk  and  cheese  and  wheat  and  fish,  he  and  his, — the 
man  who  looked  out. 

When  the  spring  came  he  had  not  used  all  that  he  had  provided.  That 
inexplicable  something, — that  lust  of  acquisition  that  lures  man  on 
whether  they  have  need  or  no, — spurred  him  to  repeat  his  former  exploits, 
and  when  the  task  grew  too  great  for  one  man  he  said  to  a  Man  who 
looked  down,  "Come,  work  for  me."  "I  can't  work  for  you,  man.  I  am 
hungry.  I  need  to  eat."  'T  have  plenty  to  eat."  "Lead  me  to  it."  All 
that  day  he  toiled  for  the  man  who  looked  out ;  toiled  and  ate  at  the  man's 
table.  When  the  evening  came  he  craved  a  piece  of  fish  and  flesh  for  his 
family.  It  was  given  him,  and  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the 
tribe  one  man  had  worked  for  another  and  had  received  wages. 

"Shall  I  come  tomorrow?"  "Surely."  "At  what  time?"  "Leave  that 
to  me.  I  will  call  you,"  said  the  man  who  looked  out.  He  was  a  self- 
winder.    He  needed  no  alarm  clock.    These  self-w'inders  never  do. 

In  a  couple  of  days  the  man  who  looked  dotvn  came  to  his  employer  and 
said,  "I  have  a  brother  and  a  couple  of  brothers-in-law  who  would  like 
to  work  for  you  and  eat  regularly  like  this."  "Bring  them  along, — the 
whole  tribe,  if  you  will."  All  that  summer  they  toiled,  piling  great  ricks 
of  grass,  building  stockades,  laying  up  stores  of  grain  and  nuts  and  fruits. 
And  when  the  first  snow  fell  he  said  to  them, — "Good-bye,  fellows,  I'll 
see  you  again  in  the  spring."  And  they  said, — "What  shall  we  do  for 
food?  Are  we  not  to  eat  this  winter?"  He  replied  telling  them  that 
theirs  was  a  "seasonal  job"  and  sent  them  home.  Next  day  they  came 
whimpering  back  and  said, — "Our  women  and  our  children  cry  for  food. 
We  have  never  lived  like  this  before.  We  have  had  more  at  times,  but 
it  has  never  been  regular.  We  must  have  food."  "What  have  you  to 
give?"  he  asked  them.  "Nothing."  "Oh,  yes,  you  have.  You  have 
trinkets  of  gold  your  women  wear  about  their  necks ;  you  have  beadwork 
and  blankets  that  they  have  woven.  You  have  many  things.  Bring  them 
to  me  and  I  will  give  you  food  in  exchange  for  them." 

So,  the  long  winter  through,  they  brought  him  all  that  they  could  spare 
of  their  possessions,  and  he  gave  them  food.  When  the  spring  came  and 
they  came  back  to  work  they  said, — "Our  women  want  their  trinkets, 
their  beadwork  and  their  ornaments."  And  he  replied, — "Work  a  little 
longer  and  you  may  have  them  back,"  and  so  they  worked. 

After  a  time,  through  the  exigencies  of  these  transactions,  a  pile  of 
little  golden  pieces,  in  the  store  tent  of  the  man  who  looked  out,  came  and 
went  and  became  a  medium  of  exchange  to  such  an  extent  that  he  made 
a  crude  die  and,  with  a  mallet,  stamped  his  profile  and  his  name  upon  each 

47 


separate  piece,  and  money  was  born.  Money, — nothing  but  stored  labor 
used  by  men  to  buy  trinkets  for  women.  That  is  all  money  is.  Men  will 
not  use  money  when  left  by  themselves.  They  will  not  have  it  in  their 
clubs.  They  sign  a  series  of  slips  of  paper  then  and  give  another  slip  of 
paper  at  the  end  of  the  month.  They  will  not  even  play  poker  for  it,  but 
use  little  celluloid  counters,  instead. 

By  and  by  the  pile  of  money  became  so  large  that  it  began  to  bother 
the  conscience  of  the  man  who  looked  out,  and  so  he  said, — "These  people 
get  sick.  I  will  build  them  a  hospital.  I  will  call  that  after  father;  he 
was  a  kind  old  man.  They  need  a  church.  I  will  call  that  after  mother, — 
'The-Man-With-The-Blood-On-His-Club's  ^lother's  Memorial.'  They 
need  a  library.  I  will  call  that  after  me.  They  will  probably  want  a  pipe 
organ  for  their  church.  Oh,  well,  that  is  a  luxury.  I  will  pay  half  of 
that ;  let  them  raise  the  other  half.  I  will  create  a  church  organ  fund." 
Thus  philanthropy  was  born.  Philanthropy, — the  effort  on  the  part  of  the 
man  who  looked  out  to  get  from  under  the  money  that  rests  on  his 
conscience. 

//  we  understand  the  social  task  of  Christianity  it  is  to  bring  together, 
at  some  common  meeting  place,  these  four  great  factors  in  the  world's 
great  strife, — these  political  leaders,  these  toilers,  these  poets,  singers, 
artists,  editors,  teachers,  preachers,  these  far-seeing  organisers  of  the  one 
group  for  the  benefit  of  all. 

We  believe  that  there  is  but  one  place  at  zuhich  these  groups  may  be 
brought;  one  place  at  tvhich  they  may  settle  and  solve  these  differences, 
and  that  is  at  the  foot  of  the  cross  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Each  of  these  groups  is  conscious  of  its  need.  They  stand  before  us 
today.  These  politicians,  toilers,  poets,  editors,  teachers,  preachers,  cap- 
tains of  industry.  They  ask  of  us  the  way.  "He  is  the  way."  And  they 
are  saying, — "Show  me  Him,"  and  when  we  have  shown  them  Him  and 
they  have  seen  Him,  they  will  settle  and  solve  the  things  which  separate 
them  now. 

AFTERNOON  SESSION 

J.  Parke  Channing,  Presiding. 

"The  Foreman" — John  Calder,  Manager  of  Industrial  Relations,  Swift 
&  Company : 

THE  FOREMAN  IS  THE  COMPANY. 

We  wish  to  discuss  the  foreman  in  the  capacity  of  chosen  representa- 
tive of  his  concern's  policies  and  ideals  regarding  labor.  Someone  may 
object  to  putting  the  foreman  on  this  pedestal  and  claim  that  concerns 
have  other  ways  of   manifesting  their  interest  in  their  employes;  but, 

48 


nevertheless,  the  actions  and  views  of  the  man  immediately  in  authority 
over  the  workman,  and  constantly  in  touch  with  him,  are  his  ultimate 
criterion  of  the  company. 

First  of  all,  of  course,  the  concern  must  have  such  policies  and  ideals. 
We  often  find  that  many  firms  have  never  thovight  these  matters  through 
to  a  finish.  At  best,  their  system  is  a  collection  of  uncoordinated  prac- 
tices of  liberal  tendency,  sometimes  the  result  of  the  initiative  of  manage- 
ment, and  really  on  its  trial  so  far  as  the  proprietors  are  concerned. 

We  are  discussing  the  problem  of  a  Board  of  Directors  and  a  manage- 
ment thoroughly  convinced  that  labor  relations  need  stabilizing  and  can 
be  stabilized.    "What,"  we  ask,  "are  they  going  to  do  about  the  foreman  ?" 

THE  DISTRIBUTION  OF  OUR  FOREMEN. 

According  to  the  last  published  Census  of  Manufacturers,  about  forty 
millions  of  our  population  arc  engaged  in  gainful  occupations,  and  nearly 
eight  millions  of  these  arc  in  manufacturing  industry.  A  little  more  than 
one-half  of  all  our  industrial  workers  are  engaged  in  270,000  establish- 
ments forming  ninety-eight  per  cent  of  all  our  plants,  and  these  plants 
employ  from  one  to  250  people,  and  14  persons  on  an  average.  The 
remainder,  a  little  less  than  half  of  our  workers,  are  employed  in  5,104 
places  embracing  only  two  per  cent  of  all  our  plants.  Three  thousand 
of  these  larger  plants  run  from  250  to  500,  and  1.400  from  500  to  1,000 
persons.  Only  648  plants  in  the  country  run  over  1,000  employes  each, 
and  form  what  we  term  "big  business." 

Fully  half  of  our  foremen,  assistants,  inspectors,  superintendents  and 
managers,  or  about  400,000  persons  are  employed,  and  somewhat  less 
than  half  of  our  industrial  activities  and  services  are  carried  on,  in  estab- 
lishments so  small  that,  if  the  employes  and  managers  ivere  energised, 
sympathetic  and  enlightened,  there  zcould  be  little  difficulty  in  creating, 
and  maintaining,  very  close  and  satisfactory  relations  zvith  labor.  As  a 
■matter  of  fact,  little  use  is  made  by  the  small  proprietors  of  their 
advantage. 

The  other  half  of  our  foremen  and  minor  executives,  numbering  over 
300,000  persons,  in  relatively  large  establishments,  are  often  far  removed 
from  any  real  contact  with  their  concern's  policies  and  ideals,  and  depend 
upon  the  accident  of  a  particularly  able  and  progressive  management  for 
enlightenment.  This  does  not  make  for  continuity  of  action  in  labor 
matters. 

PROBLEM  OF  THE  LARGE  AND  SMALL  PLANT. 

In  spite  of  the  advent  of  employes'  representation,  the  end  sought  must 
be  accomplished  largely  through  the  management's  active  deputies — the 
foremen. 

49 


Little  business  is  often  run  by  little  men  zvho  pick  foremen  of  like 
caliber,  neglect  to  train  them  in  the  humanities,  and  consequently  have  an 
organization  which'  is  a  very  close  copy  of  the  narrow-minded  people  at 
the  top.  But  zi'herever  you  find  a  proprietor  of  liberal  viezvs  and  energy, 
you  usually  find  him  successfully  multiplying  himself  through  his  fore- 
men. 

In  big  industrial  business  on  the  other  hand,  even  with  the  best  inten- 
tions at  the  top,  the  foreman,  often  far  removed  from  the  management, 
is  frequently  of  unsuitable  type  and  temperament  and  is  sometimes 
allowed  undesirable  liberty  and  arbitrary  powers  over  the  workmen. 

INEFFECTIVE  SELECTION   OF  FOREMEN. 

The  foreman  is  usually  selected  for  his  technical  competency,  but  in 
recent  years  the  qualification  is  much  less  thorough  than  formerly,  and 
progressive  education  in  Modern  Production  Methods  has  been  found 
necessary.  Such  training  is  not  inconsistent  with  simultaneous  training 
and  teaching  on  handling  men.  We  are  chiefly  concerned  at  this  time 
zi'ith  the  foreman  as  a  man;  ziith  the  kind  of  mind  and  character  through 
zvhich  his  employer's  ideals  and  progressive  labor  policies  can  be  conveyed 
to  the  zvorkman. 

PSYCHOLOGY  OF  THE  WORKER. 

The  most  acute  problems  of  the  foreman  today  are  human  ones, — prob- 
lems of  relations  between  the  people  in  the  narrow  groups  which  compose 
industrial  society  inside  and  outside  the  plant.  We  see  then  how  complex 
and  delicate  the  whole  problem  is ;  yet  we  often  leave  the  whole  thing,  at 
its  inception,  to  an  uninstructed  foreman,  and  we  are  content  if  nothing 
seems  to  happen.  Yet  an  unwisely  handled  problem  of  this  kind  may 
suddenly  become  serious,  and  the  workman  cannot  get  any  better  idea  of 
a  management  than  is  furnished  by  the  foreman  with  whom  he  spends 
nearly  all  of  his  working  hours. 

THE  FOREMAN  MUST  BE  TAKEN  INTO  CONFIDENCE. 

The  foreman  must  be  told  much  more  about  his  concern.  In  most 
cases  he  has  not  been  told  of  its  policies  and  its  problems.  This  is  still 
more  the  case  with  the  worker.  Judicious  publicity  will  help  the  latter, 
but  the  foremen  should  be  taken  right  into  the  family  and  permitted  to 
discuss  all  these  things.  The  foreman's  main  job  is  to  handle  his  men 
with  technical  efficiency,  tact  and  general  satisfaction  and  he  cannot  do 
this  zvithout  confidence. 

]\Ianagement  cannot  escape  the  responsibility  of  building  up  that  con- 
fidence in  every  single  foreman,  and  of  being  worthy  of  it,  instead  of  mak- 
ing the  foreman  the  general  drudge,  responsible  for  all  things  that  go 

50 


wrong  and  credited  with  little  when  they  go  right.  JVe  must  cease  regard- 
ing and  using  h'nn  as  a  policeman,  and  must  deliberately  set  ourselves  to 
aid  him  to  jil  liinisclf  for  man-building,  his  real  job. 

COUNCILS  ARE  NOT  FOREMEN'S  SCHOOLS. 

Someone  asks,  "What  about  representative  councils ;  will  they  not  edu- 
cate the  foreman?"  We  do  not  believe  they  will  or  can.  The  council  is 
not  the  place  to  exhibit  the  foreman's  ignorance  and  lack  of  perception, 
and  it  is  certainly  not  the  source  for  replacing  them  with  information  and 
mental  development. 

The  concern  that  intelligently  and  willingly  originates  employe  repre- 
sentation must  see  to  it,  for  the  best  results,  that  they  are  educated  and 
developed  foremen,  sympathetic  and  well-poised,  who  sit  around  the 
council  table.  Such  a  result  should  be  attained  outside  of  the  Council, 
or  there  will  inevitably  be  reactions  in  the  plant  that  will  defeat  the  full 
intent  of  representation. 

SPECIAL  FOREMEN   TRAINING  IS   NEEDED. 

To  accomplish  this  in  the  small  plants  is  a  simple  and  direct  matter,  if 
the  proprietor  and  management  are  properly  alive  to  the  need  and  willing 
to  devote  personal  time  to  it,  or,  where  the  management  is  willing  but  not 
competent,  to  stand  solidly  behind  special  counsel  employed  to  do  it. 

In  the  large  concerns  it  is  a  matter  of  well-organized  effort  by  the  In- 
dustrial Relations  Department  with  all  the  outside  counsel  needed  and  all 
executives  in  attendance.  It  must  be  an  effort  persisted  in  until  the  com- 
pany's policies  are  thoroughly  understood  and  practiced  by  executives  of 
every  grade.  Education  of  foremen  in  the  history  of  industry,  in  its 
elementary  economics,  in  the  handling  of  men  and  things,  and  methods, 
on  modern  lines,  provides  them  with  a  perspective  and  a  grip  of  indus- 
trial leadership  which  gives  them  a  new  interest  in  their  jobs,  and  is  re- 
flected there  by  more  success  in  handling  their  people. 

WE  MUST  EDUCATE  THE  MEN  WE  HAVE. 

Approximately  ten  per  cent  of  our  eight  million  strictly  industrial 
workers  are  major  and  minor  executives  and  their  assistants.  That  is, 
we  are  running  industry  today  with  nearly  eight  hundred  thousand  fore- 
men, assistant  foremen,  inspectors,  superintendents  and  managers  be- 
tween 22  and  65  years  of  age.  These  are  the  people,  even  zvhere  the  em- 
ployer is  in  full  accord,  zvho,  for  good  or  ill,  hold  the  immediate  future  of 
American  labor  relations  in  their  hands,  and  it  is  their  traits  of  mind  and 
character  which  will  determine  the  issue.  This  applies  equally  to  the  fore- 
men in  our  mining  and  transportation  enterprises,  who  are  not  included  in 
these  figures,  but  who  have  a  measure  of  labor  trouble  out  of  all  ratio  to 
their  numbers  in  industry  as  a  whole. 

51 


WHAT  IS  THE  MATTER  WITH  AMERICA? 

Our  industrial  problems  are  reflected  in  society  as  a  whole.     What's  | 
the  matter  with  America  ?    Many  men  are  soured,  grudging  and  indiffer- 
ent in  services,  even  when  well  paid.     They  don't  like  their  jobs,  them- 
selves or  their  fellows.    What's  the  trouble  ? 

The  trouble  with  America  today  is  chiefly  the  lack  of  education  in  many 
matters  which  are  common  affairs  of  daily  life,  and  lack  of  knowledge 
of  the  unchanging  laws  of  business  and  industry.  This  is  a  pity  amongst 
the  grown-ups  ;  it  is  a  hindrance  to  men  in  their  prime ;  but  it  is  a  handicap 
to  our  young  men,  who  are  getting  an  inadequate  discipline  in  this  time 
of  slackened  endeavor.  These  young  men  will  bear  the  marks  of  it  all 
their  lives,  if  they  do  not  take  care,  for  they  are  getting  a  living,  and  often 
more  than  a  living,  without  delivering  to  capacity,  and  they  are  apparently 
"getting  away  with  it."  This  is  only  apparent,  however.  The  day  of 
reckoning  is  coming.  We  have  got  to  stabilise  business  and  industry 
through  education,  and  that  is  what  we  are  being  asked  to  do. 

WE  MUST  ANALYZE  OUR  IGNORANCE. 

What  do  we  lack  and  how  can  we  remedy  our  deficiencies?  When  we 
ask  that  question,  we  are  faced  with  this  fact,  that  not  merely  the  fore- 
men, but  most  men  in  business  are  only  half  educated.  In  the  face  of  the 
detail  and  complexity  of  modern  science,  art,  business  and  industry,  we 
are  all  just  half  educated  in  the  sense  that  a  large  portion  of  our  minds  is 
uncultivated.  A  iittle  knowledge  may  be  a  dangerous  thing,  but  it  is  only 
so  when  you  do  not  know  it  is  only  a  little,  and  are  unduly  puffed  up  with 
it.  In  all  education  of  foremen,  we  must  continually  emphasize  the  par- 
tial nature  of  their  achievements. 

Just  to  the  degree  that  a  foreman's  or  employer's  mind  is  incompetent, 
just  to  the  extent  that  he  has  only  a  superficial  half-knowledge,  and  does 
not  know  it,  there  is  public  and  industrial  danger. 

THREE  MENTAL  TRAITS  NEEDING  CORRECTION. 

There  arc  three  outstanding  mental  defects  in  our  social  action.  Firsts 
a  great  many  men  depend  upon  "luck"  for  success.  Business  men,  fore- 
men and  workmen  rely  on  magic — they  "expect  to  have  a  little  'luck.'  " 
They  ignore  cause  and  effect.  Secondly,  many  people  only  think  in  order 
to  justify  something  they  have  done  or  are  about  to  do.  Their  minds  are 
continually  hunting  for  alibis,  and  are  rarely  out  for  the  truth.  Third, 
many  men  are  unable  to  think  their  problems  through. 

The  undeveloped  man,  as  a  merchant,  buys  goods  that  attract  him  with- 
out thinking  whether  his  customers  will  want  them,  or  ought  to  want 
them.  As  a  business  man,  he  hires  a  beginner  at  $12  if  she  will  take 
it;  $15  if  she  asks  for  $15;  $20  if  she  insists  on  $20;  promotes  nobody 

52 


until  he  is  forced  to  do  it,  and  then  is  surprised  that  there  is  so  bad  a 
spirit  in  the  plant  and  office.  As  a  farmer,  he  works  ten  hours  a  day 
for  a  dozen  cows,  without  ever  thinking  whether  the  cows  are  support- 
ing him  or  he  is  supporting  the  cows.  As  a  big  business  director,  he 
votes  for  bonuses,  installs  safety  devices,  hires  social  workers  and  pro- 
vides amusements  to  overcome  unrest,  when  the  real  trouble  is  the  petty 
tyranny  and  ignorance  of  some  of  his  managers,  superintendents  and 
foremen. 

WHAT  ARE  WE  GOING  TO   DO  ABOUT  IT? 

AMiat  are  we  going  to  do  about  it  as  individuals,  about  this  inefficiency 

i  in  thinking?    This  fellow  who  relies  on  luck  to  help  him  out,  who  justi- 

I  fies  his  errors  rather  than  corrects  them,  who  thinks  nothing  through  to  a 

!  finish,  is  in  our  plants  and  offices  today ;  he  is  sometimes  actually  in  charge 

of  policies,  people  and  things.    How  can  men  be  treated  right,  and  led  to 

efficient  production  and  self -development  by  such  lame,   self -deceiving 

guides  ?    How  can  workmen  of  the  same  stamp  be  properly  treated  ? 

Only  in  two  ways.  First,  replace  the  sham  thinking  by  the  real  thing 
wherever  possible,  by  well-considered  training  and  education  of  the  in- 
dividual. Secondly,  carry  into  the  plant  collectively  such  simple,  con- 
vincing knowledge  of  the  worth-whileness  of  thinking  straight,  and  living 
straight,  as  will  restore  some  JOY  to  the  job. 

We  said  we  should  take  up  education  as  a  cure  for  the  three  tendencies 
which  I  described.  We  should  also  do  another  thing,  rather  unusual  to 
advise,  but  we  advise  it ;  learn  to  refuse  intelligently ;  to  refuse  to  think 
to  incompetent  conclusions.  Spend  your  energies  in  finding  the  proper 
expert  in  the  case,  send  for  him  and  do  what  he  tells  you.  The  educated 
man  at  the  very  best  has  only  a  very  little  knowledge;  he  knows,  however, 
that  it  is  little ;  he  knows  when  not  to  think ;  and  he  knows  where  to  buy 
the  thinking  he  needs. 

WHAT   ARE  THE   SOCIAL  AND    INDUSTRIAL  ISSUES? 

The  real  problem  of  the  hour,  the  social  problem  that  presents  itself  to 
the  people  of  these  United  States,  is  simply  this :  Can  the  nation's  indus- 
tries be  so  organized,  and  so  administered,  as  to  bring  to  the  service  of 
business  the  well-tested  principles  and  ideals  of  our  political  democracy, 
without  overturning  the  foundations  of  the  republic,  and  without  destroy- 
ing the  only  guarantees  we  know  on  which  order,  liberty  and  progress  can 
possibly  rest?  We  believe  they  can,  and  that  we  can  stabilize  our  busi- 
ness and  our  industry  through  education — the  education  of  such  folks  as 
we  are.  and  particularly  of  the  commissioned  and  the  noncommissioned 
officers  of  the  industrial  army  and  of  business,  from  the  high  command 
to  the  corporals.    If  we  do,  it  will  spread  to  the  ranks. 

53 


Everything  ultimately  depends  upon  our  ideas  and  ideals.  We  know 
full  well  that  democracy — freedom  from  oppression,  popular  government 
and  the  possession  of  votes — has  not  established  the  essential  oneness  of 
the  human  race.  Even  ethical  individualism,  the  cult  of  the  individual 
good,  with  its  most  wonderful  past  and  its  permanent  place,  will  not  save 
mankind,  but  must  be  merged  in  larger  loyalties  embracing  the  com- 
munity, the  nation,  and  at  last  the  whole  world. 

The  centers  and  shrines  of  the  most  potent  influences  the  world  has 
ever  felt  are  not  its  seats  of  commerce  and  its  capitols.  From  the  shores 
of  Galilee,  the  banks  of  Avon  and  the  leafy  lanes  of  Concord  there  still 
issue  greater  forces  than  proceed  from  our  largest  modern  cities. 

"  We  live  in  deeds,  not  years  ;  in  thoughts,  not  breaths  ; 
In  feelings,  not  in  figures  on  a  dial. 
We  should  count  time  by  heart  throbs.     He  most  lives 
Who  thinks  most,  feels  the  noblest,  acts  the  best." 

Following  the  afternoon  session  the  Conference  broke  up  into  Round 
Table  discussions  at  2  :45  p.m.  Space  does  not  permit  the  printing  of  the 
report  of  these  various  conferences  which  were  attended  with  much  in- 
terest. 

The  following  topics  were  discussed : 

1.  "The  Management — Some  of  the  Problems  of  the  President,  Treas- 
urer and  Manager." 

2.  "The  Foreman — The  Man  Next  to  the  Men." 

3.  "Personnel  Management — Employment,  Service  and  Industrial  Re- 
lations Problems." 

4.  "The  Coming  American — The  Foreign-Born  Worker." 

5.  "The   'Y'    in   Industry — Practical    Experience   of    Managers    and 

Shopmen." 

SUNDAY  NIGHT  SESSION,  7:30  P.M. 
S.  J.  Carpenter,  Presiding. 

The  chairman  presented  Mr.  Arthur  Morey,  general  manager  of  the 
Commonwealth  Steel  Company,  St.  Louis.  Mr.  Morey  brought  greetings 
from  Mr.  Clarence  H.  Howard,  president  of  the  company,  who  was  to 
have  presided  at  this  session  of  the  Conference. 

Mr.  Arthur  Morey,  Commonwealth  Steel  Company : 

I  want  to  convey  to  you  the  regrets  of  Clarence  H.  Howard,  the  presi- 
dent of  our  company,  at  not  being  able  to  be  with  you.    He  was  here  last| 
year,  and  he  went  away  filled  with  inspiration. 

54 


I  am  not  an  engineer,  nor  a  V.  ]M.  C.  A.  Secretary.  I  am  just  a  common 
general  manager ;  but  as  a  layman  I  will  say  that  I  have  never  been  so 
close  to  God  before  as  I  have  been  in  this  Conference.  I  think  the  whole 
Conference  has  gotten  away  from  that  timidity  which  usually  prevails  at 
such  gatherings,  when  men  speak  the  plain  truth,  speak  of  God.  and  the 
relation  between  the  two. 

\\'e  are  passing  through  one  of  the  greatest,  most  wonderful  periods 
in  the  world's  history.  We  have  gone  through  all  the  terrible  things  that 
war  has  brought  forth,  and  evil  is  growing  worse  and  bolder ;  but,  on  the 
other  hand,  there  is  coming  a  clearer  vision  of  the  truth,  and  the  good  is 
getting  stronger.  Those  who  have  the  truth  can  be  fearless  to  know  no 
evil,  and  to  go  on  confidently.  I  have  never  been  to  a  gathering  where 
there  was  such  intensity  of  faith  in  God,  and  when  there  can  be  a  gather- 
ing such  as  this,  the  whole  country,  and  the  world  is  safe ! 

"Fundamentals  of  Prosperity" — Roger  W.  Babson,   President,  Bab- 
son  Statistical  Bureau. 

After  graduation  from  the  ^Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology,  I 
worked  as  a  statistician  for  a  Boston  banking  house,  and  then  w-ent  into 
business  for  myself,  compiling  statistics  for  bankers  and  merchants. 
\Miile  doing  that  I  recognized  that  business  traveled  in  waves.  As  these 
statistics  were  charted,  it  was  found  that  they  were  wave-shaped.  We 
would  have  alternate  periods  of  prosperity  and  depression. 

One  day  in  July.  1906.  I  was  in  the  tower  of  my  cottage  with  Prof. 
George  F.  Swain  of  Harvard.  We  were  looking  over  these  charts  to- 
gether when  Professor  Swain  asked  the  question, — 'T  wonder  if  Newton's 
law  of  action  and  reaction  applies  to  economics  as  it  applies  to  mechanics. 
I  wonder  if  there  is  any  law.  or  whether  the  same  law  possibly  operates,  in 
connection  with  financial  conditions,  commodities,  prices,  foreign  trade, 
etc..  as  it  applies  to  the  pendulum,  the  spring  and  the  mechanical  lever." 
I  became  very  much  interested  in  that  problem,  and  it  soon  led  me  to 
England,  to  study  the  original  writings  of  Sir  Isaac  Newton. 

\\'hile  studying  in  England  I  was  surprised  to  find  that  Newton  was 
primarily  a  theologian  and  not  merely  a  scientist,  and  that  his  real  work 
was  in  connection  with  religion,  rather  than  in  chemistry,  astronomy  or 
mechanics.  /  found  that  prosperity  and  depression  not  onl\  came  in 
Zi.'avcs,  but  that  these  waves  were  determined  by  the  religious  attitude  of 
the  peoples.  Each  one  of  these  periods  of  prosperity  and  depression  is 
divided  into  tn'o  halves.  During  the  latter  half  of  every  period  of  pros- 
perity there  develop  inefficiency,  carelessness,  unrighteousness  and  ex- 
travagance, and  those  qualities  cause  the  following  period  of  depression, 
or  rather,  the  first  half  of  the  follozving  period  of  depression.    And,  dur- 

55 


ing  the  latter  half  of  every  period  of  depression,  man  develops  righteous- 
ness, industry,  efficiency  and  thrift,  and  those  qualities  lay  the  foundation 
for  the  first  half  of  the  next  period  of  prosperity.  Then  and  there  I  was 
born  again.  I  was  just  as  much  converted  in  England,  over  the  writings 
of  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  as  I  was  when  a  youth  in  the  Methodist  Church  in 
Gloucester,  Massachusetts.  I  had  learned  that  the  real  controlling  forces 
of  life,  that  the  real  fundamentals  of  prosperity,  are  not  factories,  rail- 
roads, buildings  and  banks;  are  neither  statistics  on  foreign  trade,  bank 
clearances,  railroad  earnings,  immigration  and  other  subjects,  that  the 
bankers  watch  with  such  interest.  The  real  fundamental  of  prosperity  is 
religion.  Religion  is  the  basis  of  prosperity,  and  the  lack  of  religion  is 
the  basis  and  cause  of  depression. 

During  the  early  part  of  this  year  a  great  many  business  men  came  to 
Wellesley  to  look  over  figures  and  charts  on  business  conditions.  We 
experienced  something  for  the  first  time.  These  charts  have  almost  all 
signified  good  business,  and  a  continuance  of  good  business.  Labor  is 
better  employed  than  ever  before  in  our  history.  Banking  statistics  are 
not  bad,  considering  the  value  of  exchange  of  the  dollar.  In  our  foreign 
trade,  the  balance  of  trade  in  favor  of  the  United  States  has  been  greater 
than  during  the  last  three  years.  All  of  these  figures  suggest  continued 
good  business,  yet  every  one  of  these  keen  captains  of  industry  shrugged 
his  shoulders  and  said, — "Well,  notwithstanding  these  figures,  I  still  feel 
that  something  is  wrong."  Why  was  it  ?  The  reason  was  that  these  men 
knew  instinctively  that  people  were  forgetting  their  God ;  that  prosperity 
had  turned  the  heads  of  the  people;  that  men  were  keener  on  profits  than 
on  production,  and  that  men  were  striving  to  get  as  much  as  they  could, 
and  to  give  as  little  as  possible. 

In  January  of  this  year  I  was  in  Chicago  visiting  a  friend  who  is  con- 
nected with  a  bank.  While  there  an  old  man  came  in  and  rented  a  safety 
deposit  box.  The  old  man  put  some  papers  into  the  box  and  locked  it  up. 
When  he  went  out,  he  said  to  the  bank  president, — "There  are  my  earn- 
ings and  savings  of  fifty  years ;  I  am  leaving  them  in  your  care."  The 
president  said, — "They  are  perfectly  secure !"  I  said  nothing,  but  could 
but  think  how  easy  it  would  be  for  the  clerk  to  have  a  key  made  and  make 
that  old  man  penniless  in  five  minutes.  And  not  only  that,  he  could  have 
done  the  same  thing  with  every  box  in  that  vault !  Real  security  is  not 
behind  steel  doors,  or  steel  zvalls,  but  in  character,  resulting  from  old 
fashioned  religion! 

We  buy  Liberty  Bonds.  Do  we  ever  bother  to  see  whether  they  are 
signed,  or  whether  the  signature  is  counterfeited?  We  throw  our  money 
over  the  bank  counter.  Do  we  ever  know  whether  the  amount  is  written 
in  the  ledger?    You  pay  your  lawyer  hundreds  of  dollars,  and  yet  the 

56 


I 


little  underpaid  $"?0  a  week  stenographer  could  make  you  penniless. 
The  real  safety,  the  real  security  of  our  nation  today  rests  with  the 
preachers  instead  of  the  bankers;  with  the  priests  instead  of  the  police- 
men, and  the  Sunday  School  teachers  instead  of  the  efficiency  engineers! 

Civilization  began  with  the  development  of  the  credit  system.  And  the 
credit  system— the  system  of  trust  in  others — can,  when  charted  through 
history,  form  a  line  that  is  absolutely  parallel  with  the  line  of  development 
of  religion.  Civilization  started  with  the  development  of  the  credit  sys- 
tem, which  came  from  these  three  things, — integrity,  service  and  thrift, 
and  no  one  of  these  three  things  was  ever  heard  of  before  religion !  Re- 
ligion was  the  basis  of  it  all,  and  had  it  not  been  for  religion  there  could 
be  no  credit  system.  And  had  it  not  been  for  our  credit  system,  there 
would  have  been  no  steamboats,  no  railroads,  no  factories, — there  would 
be  no  civilization ! 

In  1620,  three  hundred  years  ago,  a  band  of  religious  fanatics  landed 
on  the  Plymouth  shores  of  Massachusetts.  Having  been  born  and 
brought  up  in  Gloucester,  I  can  say  that  in  all  my  travels  throughout  the 
world,  with  the  exception  of  the  Sahara  Desert,  I  cannot  imagine  coming 
to  a  more  desolate  and  more  hopeless  place  than  New  England.  We  have 
only  three  assets  in  New  England — rocks,  bushes  and  religion.  Those 
religious  fanatics  landed  in  a  snowstorm,  and  started  to  build  their  little 
huts.  They  brought  in  that  Mayfloiver  some  old  furniture  and  religion. 
The  old  furniture  has  multiplied  like  the  loaves  and  fishes,  but  the  reli- 
gion they  put  to  work.  What  is  religion?  Religion  is  faith ;  it  is  a  desire 
for  service;  it  is  thrift;  it  is  self-control.  They  put  their  religion  to 
work,  and  it  was  not  very  many  years  before  New  England  began  to  be 
a  center  of  industry,  and  in  a  few  generations  began  to  be  the  great  pro- 
ducing center.  Why?  Because  the  religion  of  those  people  was  work, 
save,  trust  and  serve!  Finally  New  England  became  the  busiest  portion 
of  the  world,  industrially.  Statistics  shozt'  that  eighty  per  cent  of  the 
building  permits  granted  in  Nezv  England  are  taken  out  by  church  people ; 
seventy-five  per  cent  of  the  savings  accounts  are  held  by  church  people; 
seventy  per  cent  of  the  books  zvritten  in  New  England  are  ivritten  by 
church  people ;  ninety  per  cent  of  the  nezv  patents  recorded  at  IVashington 
are  by  church  people,  and,  to  a  large  extent,  the  same  thing  applies 
throughout  the  entire  land.  Our  progress,  our  growth,  and  all  of  the 
worth-while  things  that  we  have,  have  come  from  this  old-fashioned 
religion ! 

I  was  asked  by  a  large  publishing  house  to  make  a  study  of  70  of  the 
leading  industries  of  America.  Their  purpose  was  to  ascertain  some 
undeveloped  industry  which  they  felt  might  be  developed  through 
national  advertising.    In  the  course  of  that  investigation,  I  had  an  oppor- 

57 


tunity  to  study  the  ancestry  of  the  heads  of  those  TO  greatest  industries; 
the  TO  leading  captains  of  industry  in  America,  the  greatest  employers  of 
labor,  and  the  TO  wealthiest  men,  with  a  few  exceptions  like  the  Astors 
and  Vanderbilts.  I  found  that  those  TO  men  were  not  sons  of  bankers. 
Only  four  per  cent  were  sons  of  bankers,  and  seven  per  cent  sons  of 
merchants,  but  thirty  per  cent  of  the  men  were  the  sons  of  farmers  and 
poor  preachers  whose  incomes  were  less  than  $1 ,400  per  year  during  their 
entire  lifetime!  Their  success  was  due  to  a  praying  father  and  a  praying 
mother ;  not  due  to  a  college  education,  but  to  family  prayers.  It  was  that 
training  in  old-fashioned  religion  which  supplied  the  faith,  the  service,  the 
thrift  and  the  other  qualities  which  laid  the  foundation  for  their  success. 
So  much  for  the  past. 

What  arc  the  conditions  today?  The  income  of  the  people  of  this 
country  today  is  estimated  at  around  seventy-five  billions  of  dollars  annu- 
ally. We  estimate  that  from  seventy  to  eighty  per  cent  of  that  income 
goes  to  church  people.  The  Interchurch  JVorld  Movement  zvas  striznng 
to  raise  about  200  to  ^oo  millions  of  dollars,  and  succeeded  in  raising  only 
1^6  millions.  If  the  church  people  had  given  one-tenth  of  their  income 
they  zvould  have  raised  four  billions!  Our  statistics  indicate  that  one-half 
of  the  mines  of  this  country  are  otmied  by  church  people.  Two-thirds  of 
the  farms,  three-fifths  of  the  factories  and  four-fifths  of  the  railroad  stock 
are  held  by  church  people. 

We  hear  a  lot  of  talk  about  Bolshevism.  I  was  at  a  conference  in 
Washington  one  year  ago  on  the  question  of  how  to  check  Bolshevism 
and  socialism  in  this  country.  After  the  various  people  present  had 
given  their  ideas,  the  Secretary  of  Labor  said:  "There  is  only  one  safe- 
guard against  Bolshevism,  and  that  is  to  have  more  home  ozuncrs.  From 
my  experience  zvith  labor  movements,  during  many  years,  I  have  never 
yet  knozvn  a  man  to  hoist  a  red  flag  over  his  ozvn  cottage.''  What  does 
this  mean?  It  means  that  our  salvation,  the  solution  of  our  problems 
depends  on  giving,  not  on  gaining  more ;  depends  on  sharing  instead  of 
accumulating;  depends  on  making  the  other  fellow  a  partner  instead  of 
freezing  the  other  fellow  out !  About  two  years  ago,  in  the  summer  of 
1918,  I  was  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  when  the  news  was 
brought  in  that  the  Germans  were  preparing  for  a  great  drive  on  Paris, 
and  that  Foch  was  almost  at  his  last  stand.  As  a  last  resort  he  gave  orders 
to  assemble,  from  all  the  armies  in  France,  the  men  who  owned  land  be- 
tween Paris  and  the  Somme  front.  He  put  them  in  a  corps  with  our  boys 
to  stem  the  German  drive  on  their  own  property.  We  know  what  hap- 
pened !  Friends,  many  times  I  have  wondered  what  would  have  hap- 
pened, what  condition  Europe  would  be  in  today,  had  that  land  between 

58 


Paris  and  the  Somme  been  owned  by  corporations  instead  of  by  thousands 
of  French  peasants ! 

Now  as  to  the  future : — I  have  been  misquoted  as  urging  rehgion  as  a 
protection  of  property.  I  am  interested  simply  in  increasing  production. 
JVc  arc  only  about  hvoity  per  cent  efficient,  and  that  tzventy  per  cent  is 
due  very  largely  to  religion.  One  million  men  are  employed  in  the 
United  States  today  to  zi.'atcJi  others  work  and  keep  them  honest.  And 
eighty  per  cent  of  the  possible  production  of  America  today  is  wasted 
tlirough  lack  of  old-fashioned  religion.  Friends,  the  fundamentals  of 
prosperity,  the  basis  of  prosperity,  the  life  of  prosperity,  the  hope  of  pro- 
duction, and  all  zve  have  got  and  will  have,  comes  from  religion.  There- 
fore, let  us  develop  the  soul  of  man;  let  us  develop  tJie  pozvcr  of  prayer; 
let  us  develop  integrity,  service  and  loyalty.  I  am  interested  in  what  has 
been  said  about  training  the  technical  man,  but  I  tell  you,  friends,  what 
the  technical  man  needs  is  not  technology ;  is  not  more  sociology  or 
economics,  but  more  religion.  That  is  what  our  schools  and  colleges 
need, — more  religion.  And  in  the  state  of  Massachusetts  it  is  an  offense 
for  a  principal  of  a  school,  or  a  superintendent  of  a  school,  to  ask  a  teacher 
whether  she  has  any  religion  whatsoever ! 

Friends, — do  not  become  dazzled  with  economics,  industrial  manage- 
ment and  the  use  of  these  terms.  Just  keep  your  eye  focused  on  those 
teachings  of  Jesus,  and  those  old  fundamental  religious  principles.  There 
is  altogether  too  much  talk  today  about  the  Leitch  plan,  and  Babson  plan, 
and  the  White  plan,  and  the  Rockefeller  plan,  and  too  little  talk  about 
God's  plan  for  solving  these  problems.  What  is  God's  plan?  God's  plan 
is  tliat  you  should  teach  your  business  men  to  avoid  covetousness  and  am- 
bition, and  to  be  satisfied  zvith  small  organisations.  In  other  zuords,  to 
seek  more  righteousness  instead  of  more  profits.  Secondly,  urge  them  to 
run  their  business  to  make  men  healthy,  happy  and  independent.  When 
you  run  across  a  man  who  is  in  a  business  that  is  not  making  people 
healthy  and  happy,  be  a  man  and  tell  him  to  get  out  of  it.  Thirdly,  keep 
organizations  as  pure  as  possible,  avoiding  dilution  of  organization  and 
taking  on  the  undesirable  people  for  the  sake  of  growth.  Finally,  do  not 
be  ashamed  of  the  word  "prayer."  When  a  manufacturer  comes  to  me 
and  tells  me  his  troubles  I  ask  him  first : — "Are  you  a  praying  man  ?  Have 
you  taken  your  troubles  to  God  on  your  knees?"  If  he  says,  "No,"  I 
frankly  say,  "The  Babson  organization  can  do  nothing  for  you." 

The  greatest  thing  in  the  zvorld  is  religion,  the  pozccr  of  righteousness 
and  the  pozver  of  prayer.  Insist  that  it  be  used  by  men  for  whom  you 
work,  and  with  whom  you  work.  I  know  that  you  will  be  criticized  for 
following  out  this  course.  You  will  be  questioned.  But  I  can  simply  say 
to  you  what  Garibaldi  said  to  an  audience  after  the  defeat  of  his  army 

59 


in  Italy,  and  when  everything  looked  the  blackest.  "I  am  going  out  from 
Rome.  Let  all  those  who  will  continue  to  fight  come  with  me.  I  offer 
neither  pay,  quarters  nor  provisions.  I  offer  hunger,  forced  marches, 
wounds,  suffering  and  death.  Let  him  who  loves  his  country  in  his  heart, 
and  not  with  his  lips  only,  follow  me !" 

Mr.  Towson : 

The  Conference  has  set  in  motion  three  things : 

1.  Influence  to  make  possible  the  continuance  of  American  Industries 
Quartet  another  year. 

2.  Renewed  interest  in  the  training  school  at  Springfield  for  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  Secretaries  who  are  to  be  placed  in  the  industrial  field  in 
order  that  we  may  have  trained  men  raised  to  the  highest  power. 

3.  A  fund,  though  it  is  but  a  small  nucleus,  has  been  started  to  send 
the  first  industrial  secretary  into  a  foreign  field. 

The  time  has  now  come  to  adjourn.    What  do  you  think  of  this  Con- 
ference?   How  would  you  characterize  it  in  a  word? 

There  was  genuine  conviction  and  enthusiasm  in  these  rapid  responses : 

Progress. 
Square  deal. 
Humanitarianism. 
]\Ien  are  square. 
Speed  and  power. 
Humanized  teamwork. 
Sincerity  of  service. 
Teamwork  well  directed. 
The  call  to  faith  in  man. 
Brotherly  Americanization. 
Righteousness  in  industry. 
Fusing  religion  and  industry. 
Democracy  and  Americanization. 
Heart  power  versus  man  power. 
Creative  work  and  square  deal. 
Confidence  in  the  other  fellow. 
Mutual  faith  through  education. 
The  power  of  spirit  in  industry. 
Good  will  and  a  spirit  of  service. 
Workers  working  together  for  good. 
The  Golden  Rule  is  sound  economics. 
Our  confidence  in  men  reestablished, 

60 


The  Kingdom  of  God  is  within  industry. 
Reincarnation  of  the  spirit  of  equality. 
A  practical  application  of  the  Golden  Rule. 
The  practice  of  Christ's  teaching  in  industry. 
There  are  no  pink  pills  for  pale  industries. 
Increased  knowledge  of  our  mutual  interests. 
Patience  and  perseverance  in  pushing  the  job. 
Recognition  of  the  spiritual  power  in  every  man. 
Inroads  to  comradeship  between  men  and  management. 
Nothing  is  ever  settled  until  it  is  settled  right. 
Engineers  using  Golden  Rule  as  well  as  slide  rule. 
Neither  capital  nor  labor  but  comrades  for  common  good. 
See  to  it  that  we  get  more  ministers  here,  we  need  it. 
Christianity  in  industry  the  other  six  days  in  the  week. 
Safety  and  democracy  through  the  spiritualization  of  man. 
Big  business  recognizing  humanics  as  important  as  mechanics. 
Representative    management    thinking    seriously    of    solving   problems 
through  development  of  character  and  service. 

This  may  well  be  called  the  good  will  and  square  deal  Conference. 
Adjourned. 


COMMENTS— FROM  LETTERS  RECEIVED 

"There  is  an  atmosphere  at  Silver  Bay  that  produces  a  spirit  of  brother- 
hood and  close  relationship  that  I  have  never  experienced  in  any  other 
assemblage.  I  believe  that  seeds  are  being  sown  that  will  eventually  be 
of  tremendous  help  in  solving  some  of  the  problems  which  are  confront- 
ing industry  today." — F.  J.  Kingsbury,  President,  Bridgeport  Brass 
Company,  Bridgeport,  Conn. 

"Our  trip  to  Silver  Bay  this  year  was  a  great  inspiration  to  all  of  us. 
I  congratulate  you  on  the  program,  the  speakers  and  above  all  on  the 
spirit  which  was  early  manifested  and  continuously  maintained  until  the 
end."— E.  H.  Betts,  President,  Earl  &  Wilson,  Troy,  N.  Y. 

*T  gained  a  new  inspiration  for  my  work.  It  was  a  great  thing  to  see 
the  business  interests  standing  for  the  high  ideals  that  alone  can  pull 
through  our  industrial  situation." — Arthur  T.  IMorey,  General  Man- 
ager. Commonw^ealth  Steel  Company,  St.  Louis,  I\Io. 

61 


"When  the  well-known  publicist,  Graham  Wallas,  lectured  here  last 
year,  he  laid  particular  stress  upon  the  necessity  all  over  the  world  at  the 
present  time  of  'cementing  influences.'  I  was  particularly  impressed  by 
this  quality  in  the  Industrial  Conference  at  Silver  Bay.  It  was  above  all 
else  a  'cementing  influence.'  " — Sam  A.  Lewisohn,  Adolph  Lewisohn  & 
Sons,  New  York  City. 

"I  counted  it  a  real  privilege  to  have  one  afternoon  and  evening  in 
your  exceedingly  important  Conference.  Permit  me  to  say  that  it  is  the 
most  vexed  subject  in  the  country  and  that  in  my  judgment  you  are  going 
at  it  on  the  only  basis  that  will  eventually  win." — Fred  B.  Smith,  Assist- 
ant to  President,  H.  W.  Johns-Manville  Company,  New  York  City. 

"One  could  not  help  but  realize  that  such  a  large  number  of  thoughtful 
men  and  women  considering  this  subject  entirely  apart  from  selfish  inter- 
ests must  result  in  good." — Roger  W.  Straus,  Assistant  to  President, 
American  Smelting  &  Refining  Company,  New  York  City. 

''I  can  only  criticize  the  short  duration  of  the  Conference.  There  were 
so  many  good  things  crowded  into  such  a  short  time.  I  look  forward  to 
a  continuance  of  these  meetings." — Norman  H.  Pollock,  Superintend- 
ent of  Inspection,  The  Miller  Lock  Company,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

"I  was  very  much  pleased  with  the  Conference  at  Silver  Bay.  It  is 
hard  to  estimate  the  good  obtained  from  gatherings  of  this  kind.  I  was 
strongly  impressed  with  the  fact  that  the  idea  of  almost  all  those  repre- 
senting large  industries  was  that  manufacturing  concerns  must  be  con- 
ducted on  the  'square  deal'  basis." — Mrs.  W.  W.  Shaw,  ]\Ianager  Per- 
sonnel Department,  Durham  Hosiery  INIills,  Durham,  N.  C. 

"The  value  of  these  Conferences  lies  in  their  emphasis  on  these  funda- 
mental and  much-needed  principles." — Richard  B.   Carter,  President,  ' 
Carter's  Ink  Company,  236  First  Street,  Boston,  IMass. 

"I  enjoyed  every  minute;  I  also  enjoyed  the  dififerent  speakers 
throughout  the  entire  Conference  at  Silver  Bay.  The  place  was  an  ideal 
one.  I  am  hoping  to  be  with  you  again  in  the  next  year." — J.  A.  Pine, 
Harrisburg  Shoe  Manufacturing  Company,  Harrisburg,  Pa. 

"The  meeting  was  quite  valuable  and  the  opportunity  was  offered  for 
a  full  and  free  discussion  with  others  who  are  vitally  interested  in  the 
very  great  problem." — J.  L.  K.  Snyder,  Superintendent,  Niagara  Alkali 
Company,  Niagara  Falls,  N.  Y. 

"The  impression  that  the  Conference  has  left  on  me  could  not  be 
measured  in  dollars  and  cents  as  it  was  too  valuable.  There  is  no  question 
in  my  mind  but  that  we  are  on  the  right  track." — Richard  G.  Riley, 
Superintendent,  King  Philip  IMills,  Fall  River,  Mass. 

62 


"I  was  very  much  impressed  with  the  general  scope  of  the  Conference 
meetings  and  benefited  by  the  suggestions  made  along  the  lines  of  better 
'management,  more  efficient  personnel,  etc.,  and  believe  you  are  doing  a 
'wonderful  lot  of  good  in  bringing  these  men  together.     I  am  looking  for- 
ward to  joining  you  at  that  time  next  year." — M.  J.  Powers,  General 
Passenger  Agent,  The  Delaware  &  Hudson  Company,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

'  "Mr.  Lamont  and  myself  feel  that  the  Conference  was  very  much 
I  worth  while  and  that  it  should  be  repeated  from  year  to  year.  We  feel 
ithat  we  can  make  much  faster  and  better  progress  in  the  company's 
affairs  from  having  been  to  this  Conference." — Olive  B.  Bradley, 
[Assistant  Treasurer,  IMcCallum  Hosiery  Company,  Northampton,  Mass. 

"Not  only  were  the  speakers  of  the  Conference  most  inspiring,  but  also 
the  opportunity  of  intercourse  with  men  who  are  in  the  same  line  of  work 
was  most  helpful." — H.  Gilbert  Francke,  Service  Manager,  Pacific 
Mills,  Lawrence,  Mass. 

"These  Conferences  were  a  great  inspiration  to  me.  The  whole  spirit 
and  tone  of  the  Conference  was  most  encouraging  to  a  better  understand- 
ing of  the  principles  involved." — Charles  S.  Speare,  Brown  Brothers 
Company,  59  Wall  Street,  New  York  City. 

"I  came  away  from  Silver  Bay  filled  with  enthusiasm  over  the  work. 
You  are  making  a  practical  application  of  practical  Christianity  in  all  that 
was  being  done." — Emory  West,  Adirondack  Power  &  Light  Corpora- 
tion, Glens  Falls,  N.  Y. 

— \ 
''\\'hile  various  papers  read  and  addresses  given  at  the  Conference  are 

of  benefit,  the  main  advantage  gained  is  from  the  Round  Table  discussions 
and  getting  in  touch  with  executives  of  other  concerns  and  discussing 
various  difficulties  and  conditions.  I  hope  to  have  the  privilege  of  attend- 
ing the  next  Conference  at  Silver  Bay,  and  I  wish  you  every  success  in 
your  efforts." — C.  H.  Thompson,  General  Safety  Supervisor,  Eastman 
Kodak  Company,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

"The  Conference  was  both  a  privilege  and  a  benefit  to  meet  and  asso- 
ciate with  the  representatives  of  industry  attending.  The  subjects  cov- 
ered were  so  complete  that  anyone  connected  with  industry  would  be 
deeply  interested.  I  came  away  feeling  I  had  spent  three  very  profitable 
days.  The  service  extended  by  the  hotel  and  conveniences  of  travel  pro- 
vided, were  much  appreciated  by  the  writer." — R.  R.  Van  Tassell, 
Superintendent,  J.  Edward  Ogden  Company,  Inc.,  Bayonne,  N.  J. 

"An  exchange  of  forward-looking  ideas,  such  as  this  year's  Conference 
furnished,  is  altogether  too  valuable  for  any  industrial  executive  to  miss. 
Attendance  at  the  Silver  Bay  Conference  seems  an  ideal  way  for  any 

63 


■'-1 


industrial  management  to  start  a  new  year's  work.  It  represented  the 
experience  of  men  who  are  taking  progressive  action." — W.  W.  Drew, 
Business  Training  Corporation,  185  Madison  Avenue,  New  York  City. 

"The  Conference  made  a  most  distinct  and  favorable  impression  upon 
our  three  industrial  secretaries,  three  members  of  our  board  of  manage- 
ment, and  two  of  the  industrial  representatives  from  that  district.  I  be- 
lieve our  work  there  will  go  forward  with  renewed  impetus  and  inspira- 
tion."— R.  V.  Wright,  Managing  Editor,  Raihvay  Age,  New  York  City. 

"I  personally  believe  the  Conference  is  one  of  the  very  strongest  moves 
that  has  ever  been  made  to  eradicate  the  difficulty  between  capital  and 
labor." — A.  W.  Fox,  Assistant  Treasurer,  The  Johns-Pratt  Company, 
Hartford,  Conn. 

"Although  each  particular  plant  must  solve  its  problems  in  its  own 
way,  the  contact  with  other  minds  necessarily  broadens  us,  and  gives  us 
a  wider  view,  even  of  our  own  small  problems.  The  great  impression  of 
the  Conference  was  the  sincerity  and  earnestness  of  the  men  who  spoke, 
and  also  those  who  entered  the  discussion." — S.  H.  Libby,  Managing 
Engineer,  Sprague  Electric  Company,  Bloomfield,  N.  J. 

"I  am  very  glad  to  record  the  delightful  and  helpful  impressions  re- 
ceived from  the  Industrial  Conference  at  Silver  Bay.  I  think  the  Indus- 
trial Conference  is  perhaps  the  most  potent  agency  in  the  United  States 
for  giving  to  those  who  are  fortunate  enough  to  attend  the  right  'attitude' 
in  industrial  matters." — George  S.  Hawley,  ^Manager  and  Counsel, 
IManufacturers'  Association  of  Bridgeport,  Conn. 

"My  days  with  you  at  the  Silver  Bay  Conference  were  happy  ones 
indeed,  and  I  came  away  with  a  renewed  confidence  in  the  ability  of 
American  men  in  industry  to  work  out  all  of  their  difficult  and  pressing 
problems." — L.  P.  Alford,  M.E.,  Editor,  Industrial  Management. 

"The  value  and  need  are  imperative.  The  inspiration  is  beyond  ex- 
pression. I  shall  recommend  the  Conference  to  every  business  man  I 
meet,  for  the  good  that  follows  is  unmeasurable." — John  H.  Thornton, 
Superintendent,  David  Lupton's  Sons  Company,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

"The  Committee  is  to  be  congratulated  upon  the  Conference  on  Indus- 
trial Relations  because  of  the  high  type  of  men  you  had  on  the  program, 
the  earnestness  of  everyone  in  attendance,  and  the  subject  matter.  I  was 
particularly  pleased  with  the  way  in  which  the  program  was  strictly 
adhered  to  as  to  point  of  time." — L.  T.  Thomas,  Associate  Editor,  Shaw 
Publications,  Chicago,  111. 

64 


"The  Conference  was  worth  whik,- h'jjh'y  educative,  and  productive  of 
many  good  thoughts,  which  ought  to  reflect  themselves  in  carrying  out  in 
industry  more  cooperation,  friendliness  and  good  will  between  manage- 
ment and  men." — A.  C.  Recker,  General  Superintendent,  Waterbury 
Manufacturing  Company,  Waterbury,  Conn. 

*T  was  particularly  impressed  by  the  earnestness  in  evidence  at  the 
Silver  Bay  Conference.  When  the  desire  to  practice  the  Golden  Rule  in 
dealings  with  our  employes  is  made  manifest  by  such  representative  busi- 
ness men  as  attended,  I  am  very  sure  of  a  proper  ending  for  all  of  our 
industrial  unrest." — S.  B.  Bunker,  Manager  Personnel,  General  Motors 
Corporation,  Detroit,  Mich. 

COMMENTS  ON  THE  GROUNDS 

"I  am  greatly  pleased  with  the  Conference.  There  is  much  more  of 
the  spirit  of  enthusiasm  here  than  in  other  industrial  human  relations  con- 
ferences which  I  have  attended.  This  one  is  outstanding  in  the  entire 
harmony  of  diversified  interests." — Mr.  Park  of  American  Locomotive 
Works. 

"This  has  been  a  revelation  to  me.  It  means  a  change  in  my  life  and 
will  mean  much  to  our  company." — A  New  Bedford  Overseer. 

More  than  one  said :  "I  hate  conferences  but  I  have  attended  every 
session  here  because  of  my  interest  and  the  splendid  presentations." 

"There  was  entire  absence  of  the  maudlin  sentiment.  On  the  other 
hand  there  was  the  complete  unanimity  of  heart  power." 

"I  never  saw  an  audience  that  listened  so  intently  and  stayed  so  faith- 
fully to  the  end." 

"I  am  not  what  you  call  a  religious  man,  but  I  have  a  fuller  realization 
of  my  responsibility  for  my  fellow  man  because  of  having  attended." 

"It  has  got  me  thinking  and  I  am  going  back  and  do  some  thinking  on 
my  job." 

"We  are  going  to  bring  enough  men  from  our  industries  next  year  to 
fill  a  whole  cottage." 

"Now  I  feel  impelled  to  go  back  home  and  take,  as  best  I  can,  this  spirit 
of  brotherhood  to  my  associates  in  industry." 

"This  has  been  a  place  where  no  barriers  exist  which  keep  a  man  from 
expressing  what  is  really  in  his  heart." 

65 


"My  wife  and  1  have  talked  ti^iacters'over  since  coming  here.  We  are 
going  home  to  present  ourselves  for  membership  in  a  church." 

"Most  remarkable  industrial  gathering  I  have  ever  attended." — Harry 
Holmes,  Associate  General  Secretary,  British  National  Council 
Y.  M.  C.  A. 

"This  is  intensely  interesting  and  entirely  new  to  us." — IMr.  Matsu- 
MOTO,  the  manager  of  a  Japanese  mining  and  smelting  industry  employing 
45,000  men. 

"We  will  try  to  have  our  entire  personnel  staff  at  this  Conference  next 
year  and  hope  to  hold  our  regular  staff  meeting  at  Silver  Bay  immediately 
following  the  industrial  conference." — A  representative  of  the  General 
Motors  Corporation.     (This  has  since  been  confirmed  by  the  company.) 

"I  came  with  instructions  from  the  head  of  my  company  to  make  a 
protest  against  having  a  conference  on  Sunday.  I  must  say  that  the  Sun- 
day morning  session  was  the  most  remarkable  meeting  I  ever  attended, 
and  the  most  religious." — J.  H.  Thornton,  Philadelphia. 

Mr.  Lloyd  Roberts  of  England,  a  nephew  of  Lloyd  George,  said :  "I  am 
delighted  at  what  I  have  seen  and  heard  here  and  intend  upon  my  return 
to  England  to  see  if  we  may  not  hold  such  conferences." 

"How  can  I  take  back  this  wonderful  inspiration  to  our  men?" — Mr. 
MoTT,  Wamsutta  Mills,  New  Bedford,  Mass. 

"In  all  my  travels  and  experiences  with  such  conferences,  I  have  never 
come  in  contact  with  such  definiteness  of  program  and  purpose." — Mr. 
St.  Clair,  Witherby,  Sherman  &  Company,  Mineville,  N.  Y. 

"Last  year's  Conference  was  the  best  I  had  ever  attended  and  this  year's 
beats  it.  Everybody  was  sincerely  enthusiastic,  purposeful  and  the  spirit 
was  wonderful.  We  hope  to  have  a  larger  delegation  next  year." — The 
chairman  of  the  Troy  delegation. 

Someone  else  summed  it  up  as — "Reassurance  of  faith,  spiritual 
dynamic,  usable  information." 

"I  expected  that  the  Conference  would  be  a  technical  discussion  of 
industrial  problems.  I  soon  realized  that  efforts  were  being  concentrated 
to  develop  a  satisfying  basic  principle,  applicable  to  all  phases  of  indus- 
trial life.  This  principle  was  simply  'Christ,'  and  the  practical  application 
of  His  teachings  and  example  to  everyday  life.  It  was  a  revelation  to  me 
to  discover  that  the  human  factor  occupied  the  principal  place  in  the 
minds  of  those  earnest  leaders  of  industry." — M.  R.  Crew,  Continental 
Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Montevideo,  Uruguay. 

66 


-•  • ,.  :*. 


•      •  •       M   W 


Note. 

On  behalf  of  the  committee  of  arrangements  and  of  the  management 
of  the  Silver  Bay  Association,  it  should  be  said  that  the  members  of  the 
Conference  were  not  only  generous  in  their  appreciation  of  the  Confer- 
ence, but  they  were  very  considerate  under  some  inconveniences  occa- 
sioned by  (1)  the  congestion  due  to  the  presence  of  several  hundred 
students  on  the  closing  day  of  the  summer  school,  which  was  also  the 
opening  day  of  the  Conference;  (2)  the  limitations  of  the  dining  room, 
which  necessitated  two  sittings  at  meals  ;  (3)  the  limited  number  of  rooms 
with  modern  equipment  and  private  baths. 

The  first  of  these  difficulties  will  be  removed. 

The  second  will  doubtless  have  to  be  accepted  another  year. 

The  third  will  be  overcome  in  part  before  the  next  Conference,  but  it 
may  be  that  the  way  must  be  found  for  erecting  an  "industrial  addition" 
to  the  present  building  equipment  in  order  to  get  the  very  best  results. 


\3V 


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